Towards Tomorrow
by Meisae
Summary: Set after the final act. Love blossoms, but shadows lurks. New trials awaits the gang! Rated T for now.
1. Ch 1: Miracles and shadows

_Hi, everyone. This is another story I've been working on for a while now and I finally decided to publish it. The timeline is set after the final act, just so you know. Hope you like it!  
__**I do not own Inuyasha nor its characters, It all belongs to the awesome mangaka Rumiko Takahashi. I will introduce you to some OCs on the way thought**__._

_**Chapter 1: Miracles and shadows**_

Kagome stared wide-eyed at the sight below her. Was she dreaming?  
The light breeze brushed her hair even so gently, the scent of fresh grass found her nose. Tears wielded up in her eyes. She heard footsteps from behind, but she couldn't tear her eyes from the sky down below. Three years had passed since Inuyasha returned her to her own time after saving her from the Shikon no Tama's curse. Three years since he disappeared right before her eyes. His torn expression still haunted her in her sleep.

"Kagome?" her mother's voice broke the silence, but there was never really a question in her tone. She knew how her daughter felt. Even thought she was so happy for having her daughter back safe and sound, witnessing her daughter's loss tore her apart. She knew just how much pain Kagome must have felt, her father's passing hadn't been easy on nether of the family members.

She had already long before prepared herself for Kagome's departure, and that it was a possibility that they wouldn't see each other again. As long as she was happy, and she knew that Inuyasha could fill that part.

"Mom, I..." Kagome started, but her words were lost. How did you say goodbye to your own mother? The tears burned her eyes, and the lump in her throat grew larger.  
"It's ok, dear" Mrs. Higurashi whispered as she closed her eyes. No words where needed. She watched her daughters longing eyes as she felt her own tears form in the corners of her eyes.

Kagome had tried her very best in this world after she returned, being with friends, improving her grades and now finally graduating. Her mother couldn't be more proud, but she knew Kagome did all that to distract herself from remembering. Even so often she would just stand in front of the well house, spacing out, but she never went inside. Didn't want false hope her mother believed. She would sometimes cry out his name in her sleep, and Mrs. Higurashi would have to calm her down until she fell asleep on her lap from exhaustion, tears still lingering in her eyes. The day after she would act as if nothing had happened, wearing her usual cheery smile.

She knew she held her daughter in her arms for the very last time, but somehow she didn't take it as hard as she thought she would. She pushed her daughter gently forward to have a last glimpse of her beautiful face before she smiled. "Go now, dear. We will really miss you. Find your own happiness now and say hi to Inuyasha for me" she smiled.

Her daughter ran over and hugged her mom one last time before she pulled away and ran trough wards the well, no turning back.

The moisture of the sand below her felt soft against her small hands. She gently rose to her feet and brushed the sand of her clothes on the go. The familiar sound of birds filled her ears. All her senses was suddenly so aware. She hesitantly opened her eyes, afraid that this was all a dream and that she anytime could wake up in her bed. Old wooden planks met her eyes. The smell, oh how the wind gently graced her, as if it was welcoming her, and... and those footsteps...

Her eyes widened and her head shoot up. She reached up and there it was. The warmth of that hand, Its firm grip around hers. As she was pulled to the surface, all her worries drifted and the pieces fell back into place. The sunlight flared in her eyes, but she didn't dare to close them. She didn't want to miss this. She **couldn't **miss this.

Those familiar gentle eyes met her own and suddenly the separation never happened. Those three years were history, a dream, a nightmare.

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry. Were you waiting for me?" tears lingering in her eyes. His beautiful golden eyes bore so much emotion. Long silver hair swayed in the wind behind him, his long fingers tucked her hair behind her ear.  
He Gently sat her down on the ground before he embraced her tightly, grass brushing her legs even so ticklish. His scent was all around her. As if that one hug could make up for all the loss, as if one touch from him could make the pain go away, as if hearing his heartbeats was enough for her entire life alone. "You idiot... What have you been doing?" His voice was hesitant as he brought her body closer to his own, like the distance between them still was too great.

How she had longed to hear his voice, to feel his touch, to be near him. Was this real? If it was a dream, she didn't want to wake up.

"Kagome!" "Kagome-chan!" her eyes flew open at the familiar voices and turned to see Shippo, Miroku and Sango, now with children?! Well, Miroku was a man of his words.  
"Master Miroku! Sango! Shippo!" She was about to run over to them, but found herself stuck in her track. The arms around her hadn't loosened one bit. She turned her glance towards Inuyasha, but his eyes was on the gang smiling. A sudden heat filled her face as she turned back around facing the gang herself. It wasn't that she didn't mind it, but somehow this was unusual.

To get her mind on something else, she stood where she stood and she smiled brightly to her friends as they approached them. Two small girls hang from Miroku's shoulders, and Kagome couldn't help but feel the love coming from the sight. She felt so warm. Like the ice that once had formed after the separation finally started melting.  
"It's been a while, Kagome-Sama." Miroku smiled, but Kagome couldn't help to notice it turning into something more like a grin. She followed his eyes to the place Inuyasha still had his arms attached. New heat flushed her face as she averted her eyes and turned her attention to Sango. "How have you all been? It's been so long!"

This time Inuyasha let go of her so that she could hug her friends, but Kagome couldn't help but feel a bit empty as his warmth left her body, but she didn't dare to look around. She ran into Sango's arms, almost knocking her over, fresh tears building in her eyes. Sango's arms wrapped around her best friend "Oh, Kagome. We all missed you so!"

"If this is a dream, please don't wake me!" Kagome almost screamed in happiness. A light tap on her head had her look up. Her eyes met small blue ones behind Sango's shoulder. "You have one more?!" Kagome beamed as she pulled away from Sango to have a better look. "Haha, yeah. I had him one week ago" Sango laughed as she turned around reviling her third child hanging by her mother's clothes, held up by a light brown clothing wrapped around Sango.

"It's a "he" this time? How lucky! Wow, he's so cute! And those blue eyes!" Kagome lightly brushed the baby's face with the back of her soft fingers, receiving a bright smile and a soft laughter from the child.  
"Wow, I can't believe it! Sora smiled?! You saw that, Sango?!" Miroku beamed, making Kagome question her actions.

"D-did I do something wrong?" Kagome lightly asked making everyone laugh, including Inuyasha. She just stood there dumb folded, her eyes scanning each and everyone's laughing faces.

"Oh, Kagome-chan. How could you possibly have done something wrong?" Sango brushed her happy tears from the corners of her eyes as she shook her head at the girl in front of her. "As I told you earlier it's been a week since Sora was born, but not once have he smiled nor laughed. We were so worried that he was sick. We have tried everything. Kaede did all she could, but nothing seem to work." Sango shook her head once more. "And just one touch from you and he smiles? even laughs?" Sango smiled in awe. "You really are something, aren't you?"

Kagome blinked and looked over at Inuyasha. He lightly shook his head to before he sent her a warm and gentle smile, causing her to blush. What was with everyone?

Shippo jumped down from Miroku's shoulder and ran over to Kagome. In one jump he was in her arms, almost knocking her over. "Hey, careful there, runt!" Inuyasha growled as he took a few steps forward. "It's ok, Inuyasha." She sent him a comforting smile making him huff something under his breath she couldn't catch. She wrapped her arms around the small fox. "I missed you too, Shippo" light sobs could be heard from the small shaking body and finally Kagome could believe in all this. Believe that this time she had come to stay. Believe in miracles.

"Come now, let's go and tell the village the good news" Miroku's gentle voice spoke as he pointed in the villages direction. Kagome nodded suppressing the tears burning in her own eyes. _I'm back, everyone. _she smiled more widely. _I'm Home._

_**Prolog:  
**__**  
**_Somewhere else, in a dark cold cavern, silent footsteps could be heard. Small drops of water fell from the ceiling, joining the rest of its kind on the moist floor. The creature clumsily made his way over the uneven ground beneath him. His breathing went out in hash and uneven bursts, as if he had been running. He kept whispering to himself the same thing over and over, looking over his shoulder even so often. Finally the cave gave away and a big, barely lit hall came to view. He breathed out one last time before he made his way to the center of the room, still whispering.

"You're late." a dark voice echoed through the hall, causing the creature to fall to his knees. "I-I'm so sorry, master. But I bring you good news" he failed to keep his voice steady, but he waited with his forehead pressed deep into the ground, waiting for permission to continue. A long silence filled the room before the dark voice spoke again. "Continue."

"My master, I bring you good kne..." "_I DON'T BELIEVE YOU UNTILL I HEAR IT, SO SPEAK UP YOU USELES FILTH! STOP WAISTING MY TIME_!" The voice trembled in furry, causing another silent cry from the small creature as he once more threw his face into floor. "O-of course, my master. Of course. I bring news of the miko who disappeared three years ago" The creature spoke, fear threatening to break his covers. Another silent moment.

"Continue." The voice had lost its anger, but was replaced with something else. Amusement.

The creature heard the change as well, but it didn't dare to look up. "I-it appears that she has returned to this world once more" His words was slightly muted by the sand below his mouth, but the voice seemed to have heard him clearly enough. "I see. Good. You know what you must do then." It silently spoke, and the creature jumped from the ground in one instance. "R-right!" It turned and ran in the direction he once came from, but halted in his steps. "O-one more thing, master."

"Speak up." The voice seemed lost in thought. The creature carefully looked over his shoulders and at his master. Purple light from the flames beside his chair sent strange shadows over the man's face. The man's dark eyes met the creatures bright yellow, causing it to look away. "W-what do we do about the dog demon, master?"

Another silence. "Don't worry. I'll deal with him myself. I have something special planed for that one." The voice spoke silently, and the creature knew he wasn't wanted there anymore. Quickly he faced the cave exit and started running. He knew what his master was capable of. He had witnessed it once when he had lost his stupid brother. He had underestimated the masters power, and that had caused him his life. The master was cunning. He had spared him after he had killed his brother, and he had followed the master ever since.

Laughter echoed through the cave, causing the creature to run faster, only to fall even so often. It wasn't safe to stay with the master for too long. You never knew what he would do. He brushed tears that had formed in the corners of his eyes. You never knew.


	2. Ch 2: Home

_**Authors note:**_ _Hey guys! Another chapter ready, faster than I expected I must admit, but I hope it will of your liking. I just want to thank *__**tn65loverinuy620jd**__* for her great review on the last chapter! You really encouraged me to believe that this story was worth continuing. Thanks a lot!  
I kind of liked how this chapter turned out. I believe that after some time I will need more time to figure this story out, but then again I will publish as often as I can. I hope you will review as you see fit!  
Now it's time for me to shut up and let you read. Hope you Enjoy! :D_

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own __**Inuyasha**__ nor its characters. It all belongs to __**Rumiko Takahashi! **__(even though I wish I owned it... XD *silently crying*)_

_**Chapter 2: Home**_

The trees swayed sleepy in the wind as they walked down the hillside from the Bone Eaters Well. Kagome couldn't stop smiling. It was as if she just figured how to do it and got emotionally attached. Shippo was happily placed on her left shoulder, and wouldn't come down anytime soon. Sango walked beside her as they spoke of good old times, humming every now and then as she gently shook the baby boy on her back. Miroku and Inuyasha walked silently behind them, enjoying the scene in front of them.

The two small girls hang happily on each side of their fathers golden staff, which he had placed over his shoulders earlier on. The village came into view and Kagome blinked at the sight. So much had changed! How come it was so much bigger than she remembered?

Sango saw the look in her eyes and started laughing "Well, I expect you to be suppressed. Everyone in the village has worked so hard to make it as it is now. You see, we have a lot of new people living her now, so the village had to expand to make room for everybody." She smiled as she lightly tapped Kagome on the back. Sango glanced back at Inuyasha for a moment before turning her eyes back at the village smiling. Kagome glanced back herself, but Inuyasha turned his face to the side, leaving Kagome motionless. Did she miss out on something?

As they entered the village her thoughts disappeared as both new and old faces stared at her. They soon started whisper among themselves, some measuring her from head to toe. Kagome leaned over to Sango with concern in her eyes "D-do I have something in my face?"

"Haha, don't worry, Kagome-sama. You look just fine. They are just as shocked as we were" Miroku laughed gently as he stepped forward. "They just don't believe it yet" he lightly placed his hand on her shoulder. "If you say so" Kagome nervously replied, but she turned her head in Inuyasha's direction again, hoping to get some help.

Her eyes met his, and for a moment everything else disappeared. She was lost in them, drawing her in. She felt her mouth dry up, her mind turning blank. Why did her knees feel so weak all of the sudden? He didn't blink, just kept her there. What was this feeling?

"K-kagome? Is that... is that really you?" a familiar voice came from behind her, tearing Kagome back to reality. She felt dizzy all of a sudden as she tore her eyes away from his, facing the direction of the voice. As the figure in front of her came in focus, she was about to tear up again. "It's been so long, Kaede-baa-san." Kagome smiled at the smaller figure in front of her. Her long grey hair still tied behind her back, her dark eye patch covering her once lost body part. Her remaining eye was filled with tears as she stared at Kagome with deep affection.

Kaede shakily walked in Kagome's direction, Kagome meeting her halfway, her arms wrapping gently around the old miko, pulling her closer. She soon felt the gesture being returned. After a quiet moment they pulled away, tears lingering in the corners of their eyes. "I can't believe it's you, Kagome-sama. After so long, I was really starting to believe that we had seen you for the very last time, but yet again here you are. It really is a miracle." Kaede smiled up at the girl in front of her. "It really is" Kagome agreed, smiling tenderly back down at her.

"Lady Kaede-sama. Who is that?" another voice behind Kaede asked, making them both look up. A girl probably around the age Kagome was when she left, stood in front of them, eyes glued on Kagome. Her hair was golden brown, reaching right above her shoulders. Some of it was bound with light, white hair ties hanging loosely, one on each side of her face. She wore a sleeveless purple haori with darker silk linings, and a pair of knee length white pants, her feet covered by a pair of sandals. Her purple eyes never leaving Kagome's.

Suddenly Kagome felt the urge of looking away, but afraid that it would seem rude she kept her eyes on the girl, giving her a weak smile. "My, Mijori. I have already told you about Kagome now, haven't I?" Kaede spoke gently as she turned her attention to Kagome again. "This girl, Inuyasha, Sango and the good monk Miroku-sama defeated Naraku and destroyed the Shikon no Tama three years ago, but unfortunately Lady Kagome couldn't stay with us and was sent to her own time." Kaede spoke, her expression saddening at the memories. "But now she's finally back with us once more"

"Hey don't forget about me and Kirara!" Shippo interrupted as he jumped down from Kagome's shoulders and onto the ground facing Kaede "We were also there, remember!"crossing his arms in front of his chest. The gang started laughing as Shippo puffed his cheeks and looked to the side, eyebrows slightly brought together. "Haha, of course you were there, dear Shippo" Kagome said as she bent down to pick the fox demon up in her arms again. "Who could forget?" she lightly kissed him on his forehead, earning a bright blush from the little fox. A familiar sound had her turn only to meet Inuyasha's slightly widened eyes before he quickly turned around, a slight blush forming on his cheeks. She blinked and turned her attention slightly over to Sango who appeared to have seen it all. She lightly raised her shoulders as if saying "What did you expect?"

Now she couldn't help but blush herself. The mumbling and whispers build up again making her look around her "You heard that?" one whispered to another "Lady Kagome has returned?" she heard an elderly woman whisper. "She is back?" another asked. Before she knew it, she was surrounded by people asking her all kinds of different questions, welcoming her one after the other. Kagome didn't know where to look, who to focus on, how to breathe.

But as quickly as it started it was over as she felt herself being pulled to the side and behind something soft and solid. "Give the woman some room to breathe! She just arrived for Christ sake. She don't need you silly humans hanging all over her!" Inuyasha's growling voice filled the air. Her body was pressed up against his back, his soft haori brushing her face comfortably. She felt how the warmth filled her face, and it was not the warmth from Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha's right. Let's give her some space. We'll get plenty of time asking Lady Kagome questions later. Now let's make a big welcome party for our new guest tonight, shall we?" Kaede boosted as she gave signal for them to start.

People cheered and spread out to ready the party. As some of them passed by Kagome, they wished her welcome and gave her their blessings. Kagome just nodded and smiled, her body still pressed up against Inuyasha's, protectively, his hand still holding her in place.

She closed her eyes, inhaling his scent, feeling his warmth, how his long soft hair brushing over her head now and then, his firm strong back against her. It was all so familiar but yet so new to her. If she only could freeze the time at this very moment.

A light cough brought her back to reality, and her eyes flew open. "They are gone now, Kagome" Inuyasha's voice stated. Her cheeks filled with color once more, and she wondered why the blood bothered disappearing in the first place. This on and off started to tire her already.

She forced her face away from his body, the cold taking its place faster than she liked "A-ah, yeah... Sorry that you had to do that..." Kagome voice stumbled as she moved away from him. He let go of her arm and her head lifted to look at him. He was still standing with the back to her, lightly scratching the side of his cheek "It was nothing... I don't mind really..." He huskily replied, the last sentence came out more as a whisper.

"Well aren't you two sweet? Want us to leave?" Miroku's teasing voice broke the silence, and suddenly Kagome was reminded that they weren't alone at the moment. She looked around her and wished she had a hole to burry herself into. It was true that most of the people had left, but some still remained including Kaede, Miroku, Sango, Shippo and the new girl Mijori. All bearing this teasing smile on their faces, thought Sango and Kaede's were a bit kinder. Mijori just stood there staring at her, her expression the same as she left her.

"Oh, shut it, Monk" Inuyasha spoke, annoyance clearly affecting his voice. Kagome suddenly felt very self conches and pulled her blue skirt down a bit just in case. To change the subject she turned to Sango. "I have wondered for a while now, Sango. Where is Kirara? And Kohaku for that matter? Didn't he stay with you in the village?" Kagome spoke, looking around her just in case they might have slipped past her sight.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that I guess. Kohaku is out there somewhere helping other people. He asked me if he could borrow Kirara for a while as he did so. They visit from time to time, but it's been a while since I have seen them, I must admit." Sango went over to Miroku and he lightly lifted the sleeping baby of her back and carefully into his own arms.

"Come now, Kagome-chan. You and I have a lot of time to catch in on." Sango hinted for Kagome to follow her. Shippo followed them happily, but he was soon lifted off the ground by the not so happy Inuyasha. "Oh, no you don't" he lightly flicked his middle finger into the little fox forehead. "Hey! What did you do that for?!" the fox whined as he stared daggers into Inuyasha's eyes.

"Keh, you heard her, didn't you? They need some time alone at the moment. Which means" Inuyasha poked his finger into Shippo's stomach "YOU stay here with me while they go of somewhere private. You got that, runt?"

"Why can't I go with them?! I missed Kagome too! Right, Kagome?" The little fox demon swayed his feats in the air to get Kagome in his sight. "Haha, I'm sorry, Shippo. Not this time. We'll talk later, ok?  
We won't be gone long" Kagome gave him a comforting smile before following after Sango into the village, leaving a speechless Shippo hanging by his clothes in mid air.

-  
_**Afterword's:**_

_**So what did you guys think? I thought it was best to end it here, I hate pulling out things... As you most likely noticed I introduced you to another Oc of mine "Mijori", who most likely will play a big part in this fan fiction. She wasn't mentioned much in this chapter, but I have something planed for her in the future. I kind of like her already, thought.  
I hope you can tell me your thoughts of this chapter. If you liked it or not, I don't mind. I just want to hear from you, so that I know if it's something I should fix and such.**__  
__**Well, that's it for now. I will try to update as soon as I have things ready. I don't want to rush things, that's for sure. I have a lot of planning ahead of me, but I hope you will hold up with me! :D  
Love you all!**_


	3. Ch 3: Name

_**Author's note:**_ Hi'a, guys! I can't believe I have another chapter done already! I don't know how, but my hands kind of live their own life as I write this fan fiction. I really enjoyed writing this chapter thought, but it wouldn't have been as easy if it wasn't for the song "Colder weather" covered by Warren Stone, so maybe you'll to? I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I did writing it.  
Enjoy!

Disclaimer:

_I do not own __**Inuyasha**__ nor its characters. It all belongs to __**Rumiko Takahashi! **__(even though I wish I owned it... XD *silently crying*)_

_**Chapter 3: Name**_

People passed them by with cheers and laughter as they prepared for tonight's welcome party. Her neck started to feel the pressure from constantly bowing her head to each and every passing person, and was deeply grateful when they finally seemed to have reached their destination by the river. After making sure there was just the two of them, she gave a heavy sigh and fell back into the soft grass.

"Since when did I become a celebrity?" Kagome groaned as she rubbed her eyes tiredly. She heard Sango laugh and laid over on her side, facing her. "Both you and I know that you're well known in this area." Sango smiled as she sat down beside her "But can you blame them really? You did save them after all"

"Yeah, with the help of you guys! It's not like I did all the hard work..." Kagome grumbled as she started pulling up some of the grass beside her. Sango turned her head slightly, eyes measuring the girl beside her. It was really strange to have her there after so long. They all had tried their best in accepting the possibility they might not see her again. The first month had been the hardest.

Everyone had tried to cope with it in their own way and pace, not that they accepted it that is. She can't count how many times she cried herself asleep in Miroku's arms. She knew Kagome didn't belong in their time, but to her she couldn't belong more. If it hadn't been for Kagome, she wouldn't be where she was at the moment, not who she was, probably not even alive. Kohaku most likely wouldn't be alive ether, even thought it was Kikyo who gave him a second chance in life, it was Kagome's actions that kept Sango from ending her and her brothers suffering before they both could be saved.

There was a time she believed there was no other solutions. Kagome changed that by being who she was, introducing her to Inuyasha, Shippo and now the love of her life, Miroku. By showing that live itself was something worth fighting for.

After her departure everyone took it hard, but Sango knew that the one suffering the most was probably Inuyasha. He didn't show it up in the open, but she knew he often wandered to the Bone Eater's well, hoping some miracle might happen.

He would often space out, like he was in deep thoughts, and they often had to repeat themselves to make sure he actually captured what they were saying. And when he thought nobody was looking, he would stare up in the sky, a broken expression affecting his usual gloomy features. It pained them all to see him this way.

As time passed, he went to the well rarer and rarer, but he still didn't lose hope that he one day would see her again. Every three days, after all the duties in the village were done, he would run off to the portal again, and wouldn't return before the morning after. Sango knew the two of them shared this bond that no one really could or would ever understand.

And finally, after three years of waiting, their friend did return. And the one who never really lost hope, was Inuyasha.

Sango felt her tears start to burn her eyes. "Songo-chan?! What's wrong?!" Kagome's voice brought her back to reality, and she lightly whipped the tears from her cheeks. "Oh, I'm sorry, Kagome-chan. I was lost in thoughts." she silently smiled and turned to her best friend again. "I'm just so glad that you are here with us again" she sniffed.

She suddenly felt herself being thrown backwards and had to support herself with one hand to steady herself. Kagome had wrapped her arms around her waist, her body slightly shaking beneath her. Sango smiled sadly as she laid her free hand comforting on Kagome's back.

After a silent moment Sango spoke again "But you know, we really wanted to honor you the best way we saw possible" She lightly stroke the back of Kagome's head, her soft fingers gliding gently through her raven hair. "So we decided to name our firstborn after you, you know" Sango lightly laughed. "Who would have thought I was carrying twins?"

Kagome sat back up, shook clearly reflected in her eyes. "Y-you named one of your children... after me?" Sango laughed once more as she reached for her friends face, lightly brushing the tears that had slipped past her eyes. "Of course we did, silly. And actually it was Miroku's idea. We felt that by doing so, you somehow was still with us." She gently took a hold of Kagome's nose, lightly shaking it, earning a small whine from her friend before releasing it again, a bright smile painted on her face.

"You want to know what we named her?" Sango beamed, her smile widening by her friends expression. "Me and Miroku really thought a lot before we finally came up with a name we saw fit." Sango turned her attention to the silent river in front of them. "Kagami" Sango spoke, her voice as soft as the wind as she tucked some of her escaped hair behind her ear. "Her name stands for *Mirror*. What could fit more, really?"

She let her hand fall, joining the other on the ground while her eyes moved to the sky. "I guess you already know the name of our son by now. Sora appears to be quite found of you already" she paused a bit before she continued "And since we had twins, Miroku suggested that I named our second daughter after my mother's given name. Ayu, which means *Beauty*" Sango closed her eyes a moment before she opened them again "Just like my mother. I have only seen pictures of her thought, but I know that even by soul she was beautiful"

She glanced over at Kagome once more and smiled sadly. "You know, if you continue like that, your won't be able to open them at all"

Her best friend had to support herself on her hands to not fall over as tears kept streaming from her tightly shut eyes. Something made Sango turn her head around before she lightly smiled and faced Kagome again. She hadn't failed to get a quick glimpse of red before it disappeared into the bushes once more, heading in the direction of the village. She knew she had stolen Kagome long enough already.

"Come now, Kagome-chan." Sango spoke as she got to her feats, lightly brushing her hands off on her clothes "Let's go help the village prepare your welcome party" She reached her hand down to the shaking girl below her. She eventually got her to her feats and let her use her body as support as they made their way to the village once more.

**So what did you guys think? I know it's a really short chapter this time, but I wanted to focus on Sango's feelings this time, so I hope you didn't mind. And I hope the feelings got through to you...  
I really like how this chapter turned out, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll update the next one as soon as I can! If you have any thoughts about this chapter I hope you take your time to review, I would really like to hear from you.  
So until next time, love you all!**


	4. Ch 4: The gift

_**Author's note:**_ _Hi, everyone! :D And finally the forth chapter of "Towards tomorrow" is finished! Wow, this chapter was really hard to write! I have no idea how many times I have rearranged, rewritten, deleted and changed the story as I wrote it. There were so many times It just didn't feel right, but now I finally can say myself happily done with this chapter. As you most likely all ready have noticed, this chapter is much longer than my previous chapters, and that's for a reason, I assure you._ I would like to thank ***tn65loverinuy620jd*** ***extremeracer19*** and ***FallenFan77*** for your great review last time! It really means a lot to me! ^^ _Once again it wouldn't been possible without an inspiration song, and this time it's "Passion play" by _William Fitzsimmons.  
And I would really appreciate it if you reviewed at the end of it.  
Hope you enjoy!

_**Disclaimer:**_ _I do not own __**Inuyasha**__ nor its characters. It all belongs to __**Rumiko Takahashi! **__(even though I wish I owned it... XD *silently crying*)_

_**Chapter 4: The gift**_

As the two friends entered the village, they were surprised of how much had been done already. White lanterns were hung up all around the village. Some people had their hands full trying to fasten thin ropes from one house to the other, while others were busy decorated them with beautiful orchids and lilies in all kinds of unbelievable colors.

As they walked past the busy villagers, Kagome couldn't believe that all of this was for her. She hardly knew most of the people there, and yet they acted like they had known her all their life. She couldn't help but feel guilty. She knew that there was so much more they could have done on a beautiful day like this, than preparing this celebration for her.

She knew how swollen her eyes must have looked at the moment, but she tried to cover it as much as she saw possible by pulling some of her hair into her face every now and then. Other times she made sure to keep her eyes on the ground in front of her. If she couldn't see them, it worked the opposite way too, she believed.

Halfway into the village, Miroku and the kid's came into view, apparently helping some of the villagers with something. They seemed to have noticed them too, because Miroku waved them in their direction. As they approached, the twins Kagami and Ayu came running over to their mother who bent down to meet them. They ran into her arms laughing, and Kagome couldn't help but smile. "They really are attached to you, aren't they?" She gently laughed as she crouched down beside Sango.

"Well, I guess you could say that, but it's really Miroku who is good with the kids." Sango smiled as she kissed the top of each of the girls head before getting back up and walked over to her husband, her children sprinting beside her with their small hands tucked into the sides of her clothing. She lightly kissed the monk on the lips, and Kagome felt the urge of turning her attention elsewhere. She loved the pair of them, and was so happy to see them finally able to show their love and affection for each other, but to suddenly see them that close made blood rush to her face.

"Us too, mama!" Ayu and Kagami jumped up and down below them, trying to reach their mothers attention. "Haha, but of course. We can't leave you two out now, can we?" Sango laughed as she once more bent down to plant one sweet kiss on each of the girls, earning a bright laugh as they started running circles around their parents.

"Oh don't say it like that, Sango." Miroku smiled gently "We both know that they prefer you over me all the time" He wrapped his arms around Sango's waist to pull her closer "But I can't blame them now, can I?" he smirked as a bright blush formed on her cheeks. "M-Miroku! Not out in the open!" Sango hissed through her teeth, as she tried to push him away.

Kagome laughed at the sight. Some things never changed, did they? Suddenly everything went black as she felt herself being pulled slightly backwards and into something soft. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the hand covering her eyes. "Really now, why don't you two get a room?" Inuyasha's voice stated, but he didn't remove the cover.

She felt herself start to panic. What if he noticed the sudden heat change in her face?! Her thoughts were running wild as she tried to figure out a way to get herself out of the situation. She heard Miroku laugh and felt the hand being removed, light finding its way back to her eyes once more.

As she regained focus again, a bright red Sango came into view, her hands pressed up against Miroku's disappointed face. "My oh my, Inuyasha... You never fail to disappoint me..." Miroku shook his head as he reluctantly let his arms fall to his sides.

Kagome just kept her eyes forward, her body as stiff as a pole. As long as he didn't see her face, she assured herself. As long as he didn't notice. She had an idea of how she looked at the moment, and she didn't plan for them to notice. "Well, I'll go and see if I can find Kaede-baa-san. See you guys around then." She laughed nervously and started to make her way away from the gang.

"Kagome-chan? I can accompany you, you know!" she heard Sango call after her. "No that's fine! I need to learn my way around the town anyways, I might as well do it now." She assured her friend and continued down the village.

Her steps quickening as her thoughts rummaged in her head. What was wrong with her? She had waited three long years to see him, but now she couldn't even look at him? She shook her head in frustration. She really needed to get a grip already.

Inuyasha landed gracefully in front of her, making her halt in her steps and loose the balance in the process. He lightly grabbed hold of one of her arms to prevent her from falling, her body almost colliding with his chest. She quickly pushed herself back a bit to create some space between them. Why was her heart doing this to her?  
"You startled me for a second there" she nervously laughed, her eyes ending up facing her feet below her.

"You can't jump in on me like that, you know... I might get a heart attack..." She grumbled as she tried to step back a bit more, but soon found it impossible to get any further since he still had a good grip around her arm. He didn't say anything, but she could feel his eyes on her.

"W-what is it?" Kagome stuttered as she felt more self conches for each passing second. Why wasn't he saying anything? Suddenly his face came into view below her, his golden eyes met her hassle ones. She had to withhold a scream as she quickly turned around, facing away from him.

This was just too much for her to handle all ready, and feared her heart could beat out of her chest any second. She heard her name being called and looked up to see Kaede, Miroku and Sango heading their way and couldn't help but feel relieved as she felt his grip loosen, eventually letting go of her arm. She hadn't noticed she'd been holding her breath for all this time.

She was about to walk over to them when she felt her feet leave the ground as she was swept into the air, leaving the village below her. After recovering from the shock she found her eyes glued to the hanyou above her as the wind swept her hair in all directions. Her heart really wasn't build for this. "I-Inuyasha! What are you doing?!" she stuttered, failing to keep her voice steady. The half demon just kept his eyes in front of him, pretending to not have heard her.

"This isn't funny anymore! Put me down!" panic starting to mark her voice, but she got no reaction from Inuyasha as he lightly landed on the ground only to kick off into the air again. The only difference now was him tightening his hold around her body.

"Really, Inuyasha, what's wrong with you?" she tried to push herself out of his arms, but she already knew it would be a waste of time as it only made his iron grip stronger. She heard him growl as he kicked off from the ground again. "What's wrong with me?!" his sudden voice startled her, and as she looked up her eyes met his. "I'd rather like to know what's wrong with you!" he growled once more, anger and something else reflected in his eyes.

It was the first time since her return that she actually managed to get a proper look of him. Her eyes widened. She really hadn't noticed earlier. As the wind brushed his hair to the side, a barely visible scar appeared in the middle of his forehead, ending slightly by the middle of his right eyebrow. She didn't know he was capable of scars.

Without thinking, she reached up and lightly stroked the already healed wound. She felt him wince under her touch and her hand removed itself as fear shook through her like a wave. "I'm so sorry, Inuyasha! Are you in pain?!" she tried to apologize as she pulled her hand completely back to her body, tightly grasping the other to prevent it from shaking. Suddenly the wind slightly lost its force as Inuyasha appeared to have halted.

She tried to measure his face for any signs of him being in pain, but he turned his head in the opposite direction. A heavy silence washed over them before he spoke again "You didn't... hurt me, Kagome..." his voice came out as a whisper, but he didn't put her down, oppositely he held her closer all of the sudden.

"Inuyasha?" she tilted her head a bit, her eyes still filled with concern. He gently sat her down beside him, but he still chose to face away from her. "You just startled me..." he silently continued and she watched his fists clench slightly "I didn't mean to..." Kagome started but Inuyasha cut her of "I know that!" his voice rising slightly but she saw he regretted it soon after as he let his shoulders fall again "I know that, Kagome... It's just me..."

"I don't understand..." she hesitantly went over to him, placing her hand carefully on his shoulder. She felt him stiffen underneath her touch and was about to remove it again when he turned around once more, his face finally visible to her eyes "You..." she started, but her words was lost to her. His eyes were filled with sorrow as they met hers. "You have no Idea..." he started as his hand slowly traveled over to hers "I... I really started to believe that you were lost to us" his long fingers wrapped around her hand so carefully, as if she would shatter by the slightest touch. "Lost to me..." he silently whispered and Kagome felt the tears start to burn her eyes.

Inuyasha hesitantly brought her hand up to his face, cupping his cheeks, her smaller hand underneath his own. He closed his eyes as he drew a deep breath "How could I ever live on without you?" his voice came out as a whisper, and felt him lean into her touch, his warm soft skin gracing the palm of her hand.

Everything suddenly turned blurry. She felt the warmth escape her eyes as she let her head fall onto his chest, letting them spread down her cheeks. "I thought I'd never get to see you again..." her voice cracking at the end. She soon felt his strong arms wrap around her body, pulling her tightly against his own. Hesitantly she guided her hands to the back of his haori, burying them in his clothing.

She heard him hush her under his breath, his face buried deep into her hair as gentle strokes graced the top of her head. The wind breathed knowingly over them as they just stood there in silence, cherishing a moment no one could fully understand.

They had no idea how long they held each other, but knew it would never be long enough. As they eventually gave away, their bodies moved slightly away from each other, both their eyes glistened as they smiled tenderly to the other. Inuyasha still let his arms linger around her waist.

Kagome let her hand slide over his face, as if learning his distinguishing features all over again. "You're really different, you know that?" she smiled up at him. She felt him place one of his own hands gently against her face, his thumb carefully stoking her tears away. "Are you really the right person to say that?" he gently laughed, his eyes closing even so slightly and she felt a sting of guilt wash over her.

"Sorry about before..." she whispered and let her eyes fall. "To tell the truth, I had no idea how to face you after so long. I can't remember how I used to act around you at all, so instead I ended up ignoring you..." silence swept over them, birds lightly hummed in the distance. "I was beginning to believe you didn't want to see me at all" his voice stated, making her look back up at him, her eyes widening by his words. "Of course I wanted to see y...!" she halted her sentence as his smile came into view.

She heard him laugh once more, making her blink in confusion. "Sorry, I didn't mean to tease you" he lightly stroke her face with the back of his hand, earning another confused look from the girl. "It's just so unreal to actually have you here with me right now." His eyes softened as he guided his hand back down to hers. He let his forehead collide with hers gently, closing his eyes at the touch. "I can't remember the last time I've felt so warm"

Blood rushed to her face once more "You really are the strange one after all..." she silently grumbled, earning another laugh from the hanyou. "Yeah, yeah, I know..." he smiled as he pulled back to get a better look at the girl in front of him. "Let's head back to the village, after all you are the guest of honor"

"Yeah... I haven't really forgotten that..." she let out a sigh and shook her head slightly. "But I can't say I'm comfortable with the idea..." his hand tightened around hers as he spoke "Don't worry about it. It's good to actually have something to celebrate for once" he reassured her with a smile. She smiled back as she nodded, but saddened slightly by that sentence.

They walked in silence as they made their way back, enjoying each other's company. The grass below them was still wet from the morning rain and she felt her red shoes slightly start to slip of her, but she tried to ignore it as best as she could. The sky above them barely held any clouds, the breeze cooling her already moist feet but she really didn't mind it the slightest, after all it was already fairly hot outside.

She lightly glanced over at Inuyasha. He walked quietly beside her, his arms crossed in his characteristic way inside the arms of his haori, his golden eyes on the beautiful sky above them. The wind breathed through his long silver hair, his ears slightly twitching by the touch. She couldn't help but smile.

He lightly glanced over at her, question filled eyes met hers. "What is it?" he gently asked, but she just slightly shook her head and faced the village in front of them "It's nothing. I'm just happy to be back"

As they entered the village, Kagome felt the nerves start to set in. She really didn't like the idea of her being the centre of attention, and especially not to so many people at once. Inuyasha's words came her mind then '_It's good to actually have something to celebrate for once'_ and let her shoulders fall a bit. She lightly clapped the sides of her cheeks, pulling herself together and drew a deep breath.

"Lady Kagome-sama" she heard somebody call, and turned her head in the direction of the voice. An older lady came into view, a tender smile on her face "Yes?" Kagome replied as she completely turned her body around, and she felt Inuyasha do the same. "I'm sorry to bother you, but Lady Kaede-sama is looking for you. I was asked to give you this message" the older lady spoke as she handed the note over to Kagome. She lightly accepted it and thanked the old lady. The older woman bowed her head honorably before she took off and disappeared into the crowd once more.

Kagome looked at the note in her hands. "What that about?" she heard Inuyasha ask as he moved closer. She lightly raised her shoulders "I don't know but since Kaede-baa-san sent it, it must be important" She unwrapped the note and read the letters written on it. It was clearly Kaede's handwriting.

Kagome looked back up at Inuyasha "I'm supposed to meet her at her house, that's all that's written" He lightly blinked "Well, if that's the case, let's head over there no..." he started, but was interrupted by another voice. Mijori came running over to them "Inuyasha, you need to come with me now" her eyes attached to the hanyou. The pair of them blinked and looked at each other before their eyes went back to Mijori again.

"What is it, Mijori-san?" Kagome lightly asked, but Mijori still had her eyes on Inuyasha. 'Maybe she didn't hear me?' Kagome thought as she looked back up on Inuyasha. He seemed just as confused as she were. "Can't it wait? I'm about to escort Kagome over to Kaede's at the moment" He spoke, question still lingered in his eyes.

"No it can't. I'm sure lady Kagome can find her own way around town, right?" Mijori stated as her eyes fell on Kagome. This threw her back. She really didn't expect this at all. "I'm sorry, Mijori but I..." Inuyasha started, but Kagome lightly placed her hand on his shoulder, shaking her head.

"It's ok, Inuyasha. I'll be fine, after all how hard can it be? I'll just ask the villagers for directions, so go run of with Mijori-san" She warmly smiled causing Inuyasha to blink. "Are you sure, Kagome? It won't take long to take you there" he stated, but she just shook her head once more before removing her hand. "I'll be fine, Inuyasha. Go now, it must be urgent. I'll see you later but be careful, ok?"

His eyes lingered on hers a moment before turning back to Mijori. Kagome heard him mumble something under his breath, but didn't quite catch it. She waved them goodbye and watched them take off in the opposite direction. Suddenly Mijori looked over her shoulders, her eyes narrowing slightly as they met Kagome's before turning her attention back to Inuyasha once more. Kagome just stood there dumb folded as her hand lowered and fell back to its place. _'I guess not everyone is happy to see me'_ she thought, but she couldn't think of a reason for Mijori not to like her.

She eventually found her way over to Kaede's hut and lightly knocked on the side of the entrance. She received a 'come in' and lightly pushed the straw curtain slightly to the side before entered the small hut. Kaede and Sango sat with her children further inside the hut, smiling as she approached them. "There you are, dear one. We begun to believe you weren't coming back to the event tonight." Kaede laughed gently as she let one of Sango's children down from her lap.

Kagome suddenly remembered the incident earlier on, how Inuyasha had grabbed her and flown of right in front of them. She felt her face heat up and threw her hands forward "NO, NO, NO! You completely misunderstood that! We were just talking, I swear!" She barely managed to keep her voice steady, but blinked as she heard them start laughing.

"Don't worry, child. I meant no harm with what I just said" Kaede assured her before continuing "It's good to see that the pair of you are the same as always" she smiled comforting at the girl. Kagome stared at the older miko before retaliating the smile "Thank you, Kaede-baa-san" she tenderly spoke as she walked over to them.

Kaede blinked "What for, my child?" her eyes followed the girl as she sat down beside Sango. "Everything I guess. For being there for us all this time." Kagome smiled up at her, lightly tilting her head to the side in the process. "Oh, Kagome-sama, I'm the one who should thank you" Kaede shook her head as she continued "Without you we would never have lived to see the living day. I just wish that it wouldn't have resulted in you leaving us like that."

"Don't worry about it, Kaede-baa-san. I'm finally back now, so let the past be past, don't you agree?" Kagome gently spoke earning another smile from the older miko. "You certainly are right, my child. This is not a time to delve in the past."

Kagome nodded and suddenly remembered why she'd come here "Kaede-baa-san, I got your note before. Was it something important?" she asked as she lightly held the note up in the open. "Ah, yes. I had completely forgotten about that." Kaede smiled and pointed to the corner near the entrance. Herbs and heavy bags were neatly placed up against the wall "Jinejin and his mother visited earlier today. They were overwhelmed to hear about your return." she smiled at the sudden joy spreading in Kagome's face.

"Unfortunately they couldn't stay long enough to see you, but they promised to visit more often in the future" She paused as she went over and picked up something from where she had pointed at earlier, before she went back over to where Kagome sat. "Jinejin wanted you to have this" Kaede lightly spoke as she held out a beautiful white longbow. Kagome stared at it for a moment before looking back up at Kaede again. "For me?" Kagome stuttered, realizing Kaede possibly meant her. When she nodded, Kagome slowly extended her hands, receiving the longbow from Kaede.

She stared in awe at the beautiful bow in her hands. It was so light, so different from her past bows. Thin patterns were neatly carved into the wood, and below the shaft of the bow she could make out a small bird spreading its wings. She felt her eyes fill with tears. "Jinejin's mother told me he just finished it a few days ago, and that was one of the reasons they decided to visit today, unknowingly of your return. Apparently he have been working on it since the day you disappeared, hoping that he one day would be able to deliver it to you" Kaede tenderly spoke as she placed a gentle hand on the girls head.

Kagome looked up, some tears slipping past her eyes. "Don't cry, my child. Jinejin told me he saw it as a sign that they had chosen to deliver the bow on the day of your return, and couldn't stop smiling as he and his mother made their leave." Kaede spoke, a gentle smile painted on her face. "He worked so hard, spending all his free time on it. He really believed you would return, you know?"

"That bow is made out of one of the legendry threes that grow up in the mountains south from here, but they are extremely rare. Apparently Jinejin came across it when he searched for herbs there. He spent nearly half a month to get it loose from the ground without harming the wood. He really putt his love into it. You won't find a finer bow" Kaede spoke as she lightly removed the tear stains on Kagome's cheeks.

"I can't believe he did all this for me..." She silently whispered as her eyes fell to the bow once more. She felt Sango's hand lightly grasp her shoulder and slightly turned her head in her direction, her friend's comforting smile appearing before her eyes. Kagome smiled sadly back at her before turning her attention back to Kaede. "I really have to thank him when he returns" she smiled before she rose to her feet.

A sudden ripping sound made her freeze in her actions and turned her attention back to Sango, who already had discovered the problem. "Please tell me that wasn't what I think it was..." Kagome silently whispered as she felt a sudden coolness on her backside. Sango started laughing and was quickly followed by Kaede.

"What are you guys laughing about?" she felt her blood run cold. She quickly turned her eyes to the entrance where a question filled Inuyasha stood, his hands hanging loosely by his sides. "You!" Kagome screamed "Get out now!" She tried to cover her backside as much as possible, but it was no use. "Whoa! What did I do?!" He stuttered, clearly missing the point. "GET OUT! NOW!" she screamed once more, starting to throw what was in her reach after the half demon.

"Hey, what did you do that for?! Whoa!" he barely escaped being hit by the frying pan, his hands protectively crossed above his head. "OUT!" Kagome hissed through her teeth, and finally Inuyasha took the point and escaped the hut with his life still intact.

Kagome stood there breathless for a moment before she heard them start to laugh again. "It's not funny! Help me out here!" She hissed, her hands doing all they could to cover the missing part of her skirt. "Don't worry, Kagome-chan" Sango dried her tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes "I'm sure Kaede-sama have some spare clothing for you to borrow"

"I'll go and fetch them right away, you can just wait here in the meantime" Kaede said as she already was on her way through the exit. Kagome breathed out and threw herself back to where she sat earlier, a glooming look painted on her face. Sango just continued laughing.

Kaede shortly returned with cleanly washed clothes for Kagome to use, and both she and Sango left the hut for her to change. Kagome looked at the clothes left for her, and could help the tight feeling storming through her. '_Kikyo_' she lightly brushed her hand over the smooth fabric for a second. Naraku had been so cruel to set Inuyasha and Kikyo against each other, both ending up killing the other. Inuyasha had really tried so hard, but in the end he hadn't been able to save her as she left this world for good by the hands of Naraku.

The old memories swept over her and felt her eyes start to burn. Such a cruel faith, but they somehow managed to avenge her by putting an end to Naraku and his evil plans. She shook her head tiredly. In the end it all was because of the Shikon no Tama. It grants the wish of the barer but never really fulfills it. Both Kikyo and Naraku had wished upon it with what their hearts truly desired. Naraku had wanted Kikyo, and Kikyo had simply wished to see Inuyasha again.

In the end everything had ended with pain and sorrow for both of them, Including Inuyasha. Over 50 years of war was all over now, at last... She dried her tears and lightly shook her head 'didn't you tell Kaede earlier that it was no good delving in the past?' she thought to herself. She started to undress and putt on the clothes Kaede had left for her.

It was strange to wear those kinds of clothes again. She glanced down her body, the red pants completely covering her feet. She bent down and picked up her own clothes from the floor and neatly folded them. Her eyes saddened a bit as she did so, after all it was what was left of her real time. She didn't bring anything else, but she was prepared for it anyway. She was going to spend the rest of her life in the Faudal era, she got this opportunity and gladly took it. After all this was where she belonged.

She smiled and rose to her feet, leaving her clothes where she sat earlier before grabbing her new bow and headed for the exit.

Outside the hut, she found a really annoyed Inuyasha leaning up against the wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest. His eyes were closed, but she knew he wasn't sleeping. She smiled slightly before joining him, her back pressing up against the wall beside him. "Sorry, about before, Inuyasha" she lightly apologized, watching how his ears twitched at her voice. "Really now. What did I do anyways to deserve that?" he grumbled as he opened his eyes.

"If I could tell you, I wouldn't had to chase you out now, would I?" she laughed, earning another groan form the hanyou beside her. He glanced over at her before turning his attention to the people in front of him, not really minding them. "You changed clothes?" he asked, but there was never really a question there, more like a statement.

"Yeah, might as well get used to them as I'm going to live here from now on." She smiled and let her eyes lift to the sky above them. The sun had begun to set, leaving the sky with beautiful shades of orange. "I see..." she heard him mumble and glanced over at him once more. He had closed his eyes again, but a smile lingered on his lips.

-

_**And there it is, people. The next chapter will be up as soon as it's ready, and finally Kagome's celebration is up! After all, I have mentioned it through the past three chapters, so it's time to get it started already! XD  
I Hope you liked it, and I hope you will leave a comment with your thoughts about this chapter. If you liked it or not, I don't mind, just want to hear from you ^^  
See you!**_


	5. Ch 5: The Celebration

**Author's note:** _Hi again! I'm back with a new exiting chapter, and I hope it will be of your liking. This chapter too was really hard to write. I felt like it was rushed all the time, but now I finally feel ok with it. Once again I want to thank those of you who reviewed on my past chapters! Thank you all, you really makes this possible. Well then, I'll just let you read on.  
This times inspiration song is from the Korean drama __**The moon that embraces the sun**__ - __**'Back in time'**__ by Lyn  
Enjoy! ^^_

**Disclaiming:** _I do not own __**Inuyasha**__ nor its characters. It all belongs to __**Rumiko Takahashi! **__(even though I wish I owned it... XD *silently crying*) Life wouldn't be the same without you!_

**Chapter 5: The Celebration **

As night fell upon them, it was finally time for the celebration to start. People were seated around the great campfire in the middle of the village, everyone minding their own business as they laughed and enjoyed the food being passed around. Kagome was seated on her own pillow in the middle of Inuyasha and Miroku. Shippo had returned earlier that evening and was now happily seated on Kagome's lap.

Sango appeared eventually after getting the kids in bed. She placed her boomerang safely behind her and sat down on the empty spot between Miroku and Kagome. "Really now, they fell asleep just like that. One should think they had battled a demon beforehand." Sango shook her head in awe. Kagome laughed at this and lightly stroke her fingers through Shippo's wild hair, earning something close to a 'purr' from the little fox. "Well, they couldn't have picked a more delightful time" Sango smiled and lightly rested her head on Miroku's shoulder.

Kagome let her eyes lift to the night sky above them, stars as far as her eyes could reach. It really was a beautiful night. She smiled before letting her eyes fall to the people surrounding her. Their smiles and laughter spread this comfortable warmth through her whole body. Kaede were seated with the older lady delivering the message earlier that day, and appeared to be laughing of something she had said.

She felt Inuyasha shift beside her and turned her head in his direction. He sat with his feet crossed, the Tessaiga rested up against his chest like always, but his eyes were on the sky above them. He seemed to have notice her staring as he let his eyes fall down to hers. "Something wrong?" he asked her gently as he slightly turned his head towards her.

"I was wondering the same. You seem so quiet" her eyes lingering on his. He shook his head a bit, as if trying to get rid of his thoughts. "Sorry for spacing out, it's nothing really" he sent her a gentle smile before he glanced down at her lap. "To think he actually manages to fall asleep in all this noise" Her own eyes fell on the sleeping figure below her and lightly laughed. "Can you blame him really? He's been on the run for the entire day, no wonder he's sleepy"

"Well, he's actually useful when he wants too" Inuyasha yawned and Kagome started laughing, making him stop in his actions. "Oh, sorry, Inuyasha. I didn't mean to laugh of you. I just can't recall having seen you yawn like that before. Are you tired too?"

"Not really. I didn't know I was doing it before you told me" he mumbled as he turned his head, lightly scratching his neck. She smiled at this and turned her attention back to the stars above her. "It will be a new moon soon, huh?" her voice turned into a whisper, but she knew he had heard her as she felt his eyes linger on her.

"Yeah... I guess you're right..." The sudden change in his voice made her eyes fall back on him. He was facing the ground below him, his eyes narrowed like he was in deep thoughts. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to destroy your mood, Inuyasha" She apologized and placed her hand carefully on his shoulders. This time he didn't stiffen underneath her touch, oppositely he seem to soften.

"Don't worry, Kagome. You didn't say anything wrong" he assured her before continuing "I'll turn human sooner or later. I was already prepared for that, so don't put yourself down like that" he smiled suddenly, causing her to blink. "It's just amazing how you always seem to know what's on my mind" He gently covered her smaller hand with his own, the warmth of it transferring to hers.

She was speechless for a second, her eyes scanning his face but eventually she smiled. A familiar sensation spread shills down her spine and she quickly turned her head, wide eyes scanning the crowd. She felt Inuyasha shift beside her as he quickly rose to his feet. "You felt that?" she shakily asked as she got up herself, slightly grabbing the sides of his sleeves for support.

Inuyasha had a tight grip around the Tessaiga, his narrowed eyes scanning the forest before them. "Miroku" his voice was firm and steady as he called his name over his shoulder, and Kagome glanced over at the monk beside her. He was already on his feet, his eyes facing the same direction as Inuyasha. "Yeah, let's go" his spoke, but turned to Sango beforehand. "Be careful" Sango spoke, her expression reflecting what Kagome believed her face looked at the moment. He nodded and bent down kissing the top of her head.

Kagome's eyes went back to Inuyasha, fear starting to creep up on her. "Don't worry, Kagome. We won't be gone for long" he spoke as he lightly glanced over his shoulder, his stern eyes met hers. "Just stay here with Sango in the meantime while we check this out, ok?" She nodded and she let go of his arm "Just be care full, Ok?" she whispered as she put her hand over her chest, grabbing the white clothing tightly. He nodded and gave Miroku one last glance before they both ran off in the direction of the dark aura.

Shippo who had jumped of her lap earlier, lightly grabbed the sides of her red pants, a worried expression painted on his face. "Don't worry Shippo, I'm sure it's nothing" She assured the little fox demon, but her words were more meant for herself than him.

Kaede came over to them, her eye slightly narrowed. "So you felt it too, my child?" Kagome lightly nodded, but she couldn't tear her eyes form the direction she had watched them disappear. "If someone like me could feel it to, it's probably not a good sign, but let's hope it wasn't anything severe." Kaede spoke as she glanced over at the villagers behind her.

Kagome couldn't shake the feeling of her. That sensation that had washed over her before resembled that of... No it couldn't be. That was impossible. She turned her head slightly, her bow appeared before her eyes. She shook her head. No that couldn't be.

"Kagome, let's get the people inside after all. It's not safe for them to be here at the moment." Sango's voice woke her and she turned over to her friend. Kagome nodded as she went over to join Sango and Kaede. Something suddenly had her freeze in her steps as her eyes shot up to the sky, but only the stars reflected in them. They scanned the night sky intensely for a moment, but couldn't make out anything unusual. But what had that feeling beforehand been? She was about to let her eyes fall when she spotted a dark area within the stars _'Wait, what's ...?!'_

"Watch out!" she screamed as she threw herself at Kaede and Sango, throwing them both out of the way, and just in time. The place where the pair of them had stood a moment earlier, exploded as something big collided with the ground.

A gust of wind flew over them as dust and stones was thrown in all directions. Kagome buried her face in her arms, doing what she could to cover herself. The silence after was terrifying. Then Panic broke loose. She heard people start screaming and flee the area. She quickly got up to her knees to get a better look at the situation. Sango did the same as she helped Kaede up from the ground.

A terrifying howl made the hairs on their back raise and they quickly turned their bodies around, a big shadow appearing before their eyes. As the dust started to settle, a humongous dark creature filled the spot of the previous shadow. "By the gods! What are a demon like that doing in these borders?!" Kaede gasped as she supported herself on Sango's shoulders. Kagome stumbled to her feet as she desperately searched for Shippo, hoping that he somehow managed to get away in time. But he were nowhere in sight.

The demon howled once more, and the whole ground below them started shaking. Kagome turned to Sango, her own fear reflected in Sango's eyes. "Shippo! I can't find him!" Kagome screamed, tears all ready building in her eyes. Sango's eyes widened in realization as her own eyes started to scan the area.

The demon stamped his foot into the ground, knocking them out of balance and they fell on all four once more. Kagome tried to focus her eyes, but the dizziness was getting a hold of her. "There!" Sango suddenly voiced and pointed to the sky. Kagome looked in the direction of her finger and felt relief wash over her as she recognized the pink, balloon shaped figure above them.

"Shippo! Over here!" Kagome called as she started to wave her arms from side to side, praying he would see her.

He seemed to have noticed them as he slightly started to blow himself in their direction. "Kagome! I've got your bow here with me!" Shippo screamed down to her as he waved the white bow from side to side. "Don't mind it, Shippo! Just get away from there!" Kagome screamed, but Shippo didn't seem to have heard her. He quickly transformed and threw the bow towards Kagome, but it didn't get as far as he had hoped as it landed on the opposite side of the great fire. "SHIPPO, WATCH OUT!" Kagome screamed but it was too late. The creature threw his enormous arm into the air, his hand colliding with the little fox demon as it sent him flying into the dark forest behind him.

"SHIPPO!" without thinking she started to run in the direction he'd been thrown. "Kagome! It's not safe!" She heard Sango call after her, but her body acted on its own. The demon had already noticed her and sent his other arm deep into the ground before her. She threw her arms up to shelter herself from the fragments sweeping past her. Pain shot through her as she felt something tear the skin in her face, the warmth escaping through the rift.

"Kagome! Are you alright?" She heard Sango cry behind her and let her arms slightly fall, the demons true appearance revealed itself before her eyes. His skin was covered by tiny black scales, brightly shining in the moonlight. It carried no eyes, the bottom jaw hang loosely on its chest, long sharp teeth glistened with purple salvia as the thong swayed from side to side in its mouth. She hadn't noticed before, but could now make out the long, panzer coated tail whipping dangerously behind it.

"Hiraikotsu!" she heard Sango call as her boomerang came flying in the direction of its head. She barely missed as it jumped from its current position and landed further away, smashing the unfortunate house beneath it. The boomerang cut through the air and made an elegant turn before returning to its owner once more.

As Kagome regained from the shook, she stumbled over and headed in the direction Shippo had thrown her bow, ignoring the throbbing pain in her face. As much as she wanted to run after Shippo, she knew she couldn't leave Sango and Kaede fighting the beast alone.

Relief washed over her as the bow came into view before her. It had safely landed on one of the pillows near the campfire. She had no time to waste. The creature gave of another terrifying howl again, and she had to cover her ears to prevent herself from losing the hearing.

She quickly ran over to her bow and grabbed it. As she was about to turn and return to Sango and Kaede, the creature suddenly kicked off from the ground and headed straight for her. She had no time to react as she watched it all happen in slow motion. Sango's silent cry, her own eyes widening as her head towards wards the creature, how the being grew larger as it closed in on her, and then... the wind hitting her face as her body lifted from the ground.

She waited for the pain, but it never came. She slightly opened one of her tightly shut eyes and something red came into view. "Are you all right?!" Her eyes shoot up and golden eyes met hers. "I-Inuyasha?"

Another howl vibrated through the air and she heard him curse under his breath. Inuyasha tightened his grip around her before he gracefully landed next to Sango. "Thank god, you're all right!" Sango breathed as both she and Kaede went over to them. Inuyasha put her down before placing both his hands on each of her shoulders "You're not hurt anywhere, are you?" his eyes scanned her body from top to bottom, concern reflected in them as his hands tighten their hold on her.

"I'm fine, Inuyasha" Kagome stuttered as she felt her knees start to give away to her own weight. That had been far to close. If it hadn't been for Inuyasha she didn't know what would have happened to her. That creature is faster than it appears to be. Inuyasha's eyes suddenly halted on the cut in her face, and she watched him clench his jaw. "I'm fine, I swear. It's just a rift" she tried to explain, but Inuyasha didn't seem to care. He gently used his sleeve to clean some of the blood from her gaping wound.

She saw Miroku approach them and felt her tears start to burn her eyes as she noticed the small figure in his arm. "Are you all alright?" he breathed as he went over to Sango. "We're fine, but how's Shippo doing?" Sango spoke as her eyes fell to his arm. Miroku's eyebrows contracted, his eyes saddened slightly. "Truthfully, I don't know. We found him on our way back, but he's badly injured that's for sure" He spoke and his eyes fell on Kagome. "Kagome-sama, could you take him from me?"

Kagome quickly ran over to him as she gently let her hands slide beneath the small body, carefully lifting Shippo out of Miroku's arms and into her own. Shippo laid motionless in her arms, she could barely recognize his face. The sight tore her from within.

Inuyasha drew his Tessaiga as he turned his back to them "Take him and get the hell out of here." He silently spoke before he kicked off from the ground.

Her eyes shoot open. She couldn't just leave while he was out there fighting that thing. Her eyes fell on Miroku who seemed to have read the worry in her eyes.

"I know how you feel, Kagome-Sama, but right now it's not safe for neither of you. Shippo-san needs first aid too, so it's best if you help him now. I'm sure Inuyasha can handle the demon just fine" He said before he glanced over at Sango. "I'll try to help Inuyasha as best as I can, could you run and check on the kids?"

She nodded and headed in the direction their house. Kagome felt a small hand place on her tense shoulder and turned to find Kaede beside her "Come with me, Kagome. We need to bind his wounds" she spoke and pointed in the direction of her own hut. Kagome nodded, but gave Inuyasha one last glance before she followed after Kaede.

As they closed in on the hut, Mijori and some other villagers met them. "What happened to him?!" Mijori cried as she ran over. "He was hit by one of the demons hands. He's badly injured so let us through" Kaede wasted no time stopping while she spoke.

"I need clean sheets now! Somebody fetch me some water! We need to be fast if he'll ever get a chance to survive this!" She called over her shoulders and entered her hut, Kagome right at her heels. She laid him on the bench while Kaede prepared the herbs and bindings.

Kagome started washing his face as careful as she could, but she couldn't prevent her hand from shaking. All this just because he wanted to deliver the bow to her. If only she hadn't waved him in their direction! She shut her eyes tightly. If only she had brought the bow with her from the start! If only she had trusted her own instincts! _'Shippo wouldn't be in a situation like this!'_ Her tears threatened to slip past her eyes.

Suddenly she felt a warm hand plant on hers and looked up to find Mijori standing before her. "He's going to be alright" she silently spoke, her stern purple eyes meeting hers. Kagome was at loss. Who was this girl? How many personalities did she posses? But she lightly shook the thoughts away as she gave her a smile. "Thank you, Mijori-san"

Kaede came over to them and placed a new bole of water next to Shippo's head. She started to mix different herbs and flowers into it and kept mumbling something under her breath. "Mijori, could you get me the green bottle over there? The one with the soft-root" Kaede asked as she pointed in the direction of the shelf near the entrance. Mijori nodded and ran to fetch it.

Kaede unwrapped the white sheet and gave signal for Kagome to place Shippo there. "We need to cut open his clothes... We can't risk harming his body more than it already is" Kaede spoke as she went over to get something to cut with. "I'll do it" Kagome said as Kaede returned with her smaller knife. She nodded and handed it over to her.

Her eyes fell back down to Shippo as a pained expression found its way to her face. She had to be careful. There was no point in cutting more than necessary. She brought the knife down to the brown belt surrounding his waist, cutting through it with caution. As the belt came off, she slightly lifted his body to remove the fur vest after his father. She really didn't want to destroy his most precious asset, and silently thanked kami for the big armholes. After slowly bringing his small arms through it, her hand pulled the vest from underneath his body before she gently laid him down once more.

Then she went for his baby-blue leaf shirt, cutting it across the linings on his left shoulder, then from below his waist and all the way out to his arm. Once his arm were loose, it was only for them to pull in the shirt from the other side.

The pants was more difficult to remove and she had Mijori to hold up his body while she did so. After all the clothes were removed, they put him back down on the sheet and Kagome lightly covered his feet with a small white clout.

A sudden cry made Kagome get on her feet, her eyes wide as the moon. She knew that pained scream as good as her own heart, and she could feel it shatter by the second.

"Kagome! You are more needed there than here at the moment. Mijori will help me with the rest, so go!" Kaede gave her a stern glance. She gave Shippo one last glance before her eyes fell back on Kaede once more "Please save him" She begged before she ran out the door.

She heard Mijori call after her and halted for a second, watching as she made her way towards her. "Kaede told me to give you this" She held out a quiver filled with arrows. Kagome accepted it gratefully and thanked her before she ran off again, heading in the direction of Inuyasha.

As she closed in on the site, her eyes widened as terror washed over her. Miroku appeared before her eyes, supporting himself on one of his knees, blood dripping down in a pile below him. "Miroku! What happened to you?!" She called out as she ran over to him. "I'm fine, it's just a scratch... hng!" he breathed heavily as he tried to get up, but soon found out it was no use as it only made the wound in his stomach open more. "You don't look fine at all! Where is Inuyasha?" She cried and started to scan the area, but he was nowhere in sight.

"I don't know, Kagome, but we have to hurry over to him." he spoke as he looked in the direction of the campfire. "I have no idea what happened, but it can't be good..." he mumbled as he tore of some of his clothing only to tie it tightly around the damage.

"Kagome! Miroku!" they heard a voice behind them and Sango came running in their direction, now wearing her slayer armor. "What happened?!" She kneeled down beside them as her eyes fell on Miroku. "It's nothing serious, How's the kids?" He breathed. "They are fine. I put them off at Jenna's house, so they are safe" Sango assured him as she helped him on his feet, this time managing to keep himself steady. He breathed deeply before saying anything "Then we better hurry over to Inuyasha"

As they ran, the thoughts kept rummaging inside Kagome's head. She was sure that scream earlier had been Inuyasha. Her heart twisted as she imagined what possibly could have happened to him.

When they arrived at the scene, a heavy smoke surrounded the place, but the silence were more terrifying. Kagome searched desperately in hope she might get a glimpse of him, but she couldn't make out anything. Then a howl trembled through the air and a small figure jumped up from the smoke and landed a few meters in front of them.

"Inuyasha! Are you alright?" It was Miroku who called first. The figure panted slightly before it glanced over its shoulder, a pair of golden eyes met theirs. "Yeah! What about you, Miroku? It hit you hard, didn't it?" Inuyasha called back, fatigue clearly marking his voice. _'He's alive.._.' Kagome breathed.

The beast leaped through the air as it threw both its hands deep into the ground where Inuyasha had stood a moment ago. He landed before the gang as he held the Tessaiga ready in front of him. Kagome gasped. First now did they see how severe his injuries were, as the blood dripped down below him.

His left arm were twisted in an horrible angle as it hang loosely by his side. His red haori was torn to shreds on his other shoulder, ripped skin clearly visible between his already drenched undershirt. And they still hadn't seen how he looked from the other side.

The beast stumbled slightly sideward's to regain its balance for a second. Kagome readied an arrow just in case as she watched it take one step in their direction. "Damn, I almost had him!" Inuyasha cursed under his breath.

"What happened?" Miroku asked tiredly, his wounds starting to get to him. "Well, it's not like he has any weak spots, his scales is as hard as steel. So I figured I might as well create one." Inuyasha spoke as he spitted some of blood on the ground below him.

"I can't use the Meidō anymore, I don't want to cause more damage than it already has, he just jumps out of its way anyways. I tried the dragon scale Tessaiga, but his demonic energy was just too unstable to predict." He paused a bit as if he was choosing his words carefully. "I don't know why... but something told me to use the red Tessaiga" he breathed as he slightly shifted his position.

"The Barrier breaking Tessaiga? How in the world would that work on someone who isn't surrounded by a barrier?" Miroku's eyes widened as he spoke. "How the hell should I know? All I know is that Tessaiga wanted me to use it and then something strange happened."

"What, Inuyasha?" Kagome silently asked and Inuyasha slightly turned his head in her direction. "The scales on where I hit him... Shattered"

_**Pewh... So what did you guys think? At the moment I have no Idea what I think myself, but I hope it will be to your liking. What a celebration I must say...  
I felt really bad for Shippo in this chapter... Who would want to hurt him anyways? except for Inuyasha that is, but he never **__**harms **__**him. I hope you don't feel that this chapter was rushed, cause I did all I could to prevent that! The next chapter will explain more. ^^  
I'll have the it ready as soon as I can, but since I have school to work with too I can't say for sure when the next is up, but I hope it's sooner than later.  
See you next time!**_


	6. Ch 6: Light

_**Author's note:**_ _Hia, guys! Another chapter finally up! I've been working feverishly to make this chapter as good and understanding as possible! And don't worry, there is more explanations to come if you still don't get some of it. It's supposed to be a bit confusing, but I hope you like this chapter! And thank you all for your great review's on the past chapters! You really inspire me!  
Enjoy!_

_**Disclaiming:**_ _I do not own __**Inuyasha**__ nor its characters. It all belongs to __**Rumiko Takahashi! **__(even though I wish I owned it... XD *silently crying*) Life wouldn't be the same without you!__**  
**_-_**  
**__Previous chapter:_

_The beast stumbled slightly sideward's to regain its balance for a second. Kagome readied an arrow just in case as she watched it take one step in their direction. "Damn, I almost had him!" Inuyasha cursed under his breath._

"What happened?" Miroku asked tiredly, his wounds starting to get to him. "Well, it's not like he has any weak spots, his scales is as hard as steel. So I figured I might as well create one." Inuyasha spoke as he spitted some of blood on the ground below him.

"I can't use the Meidō anymore, I don't want to cause more damage than it already has, he just jumps out of its way anyways. I tried the dragon scale Tessaiga, but his demonic energy was just too unstable to predict." He paused a bit as if he was choosing his words carefully. "I don't know why... but something told me to use the red Tessaiga" he breathed as he slightly shifted his position.

"The Barrier breaking Tessaiga? How in the world would that work on someone who isn't surrounded by a barrier?" Miroku's eyes widened as he spoke. "How the hell should I know? All I know is that Tessaiga wanted me to use it and then something strange happened."

"What, Inuyasha?" Kagome silently asked and Inuyasha slightly turned his head in her direction. "The scales on where I hit him... Shattered"

-  
_**Chapter 6: Light  
**_  
They stared wide-eyed at the hanyou before them. What had he just said? Only the demons hash breathing interrupted the silence that fell upon them. The wind breathed past them as their eyes held Inuyasha's for a long moment. "You don't... You don't mean to tell me that there is a barrier impregnated into his scales?!" Miroku breathed and suddenly he didn't mind his wound at all.

"Keh, I don' know what it is, but I think I know how to beat it now. The only problem is that I can barely get close enough to give a good hit" Inuyasha hissed as he tried to move the broken arm. "I was just lucky on that last hit... too bad that damn tail got to me earlier. If I'd only had both my arms I might have had him on the last"

Kagome's eyes slid over to the beast before them. So it was possible to get it after all. The armor was its weakness, get rid of that, get rid of the beast. Her thoughts rummaged inside her head. They just had to get the timing right.

The black-scaled creature rushed for them once more, but this time they were prepared. Sango threw her boomerang straight at it, making it change course in mid air and flew straight into the opening of the woods, its tail taking a few houses with it on the go.

"He's coming back, so be prepared. Its faster than it looks like" Inuyasha called over his shoulder. Another howl came from the raged demon as it leaped up into the air once more, heading straight for Inuyasha. He flew back just in time for the creature to hit the ground instead of him, but what he wasn't prepared for was the tail smashing him head on, sending him flying into one of the buildings behind him.

Inuyasha had no time to regain as the creature leaped once more, planting its whole weight hard into the already ruined house, a terrible scream trembling through the air.

"INUYASHA!" Kagome watched the terrifying scene in front of her. _'If Inuyasha's red Tessaiga worked on it, then maybe my arrows will to?_' Kagome thought as her grip around the bow tightened. She readied one of her arrows but as she tried to lode the string, it didn't budge. She gave another hard pull, but it still wouldn't give away to her strength. _'W-what?'_

She had loaded it plenty of times earlier that day, and never once did she have problems with it. Her eyes widened as panic crept up to her. It was as if the bow didn't want her to fire.

Sango's boomerang cut through the air as it headed for the demon before them. As it closed in for a clean hit, the tail simply whipped it to the side, causing it to crash into the house beside them. "Damn, it doesn't seem like he want us to interfere!" Miroku cursed as he readied another charm. "It's bad to say this, but I really wish I had my wind tunnel with me now..."

"We'll manage just fine without it, so don't you even dare think like that!" Sango screamed over her shoulders as she headed for her boomerang. "Yes, my dear Sango..." Miroku shook his head slightly before turning his attention back to the beast.

"MEIDO ZANGETSUHA!" Inuyasha's voice tore through the air as rifts of doom appeared from beneath the demon, causing it to jump back to avoid being sucked in. Inuyasha appeared between the ruins, leaning tiredly on his sword, surprisingly more intact than they would believe.

"Are you alright?" Kagome called over to him as she let the bow fall to her side. "Yeah... If it weren't for Tessaiga, I wouldn't be. It threw a barrier just in time, that's for sure." He breathed as he straightened up. "But we have to finish him soon... This whole thing is really starting to tire my body"

"Inuyasha, you told us earlier that his scales shattered where you hit him. Where on his body is that aria?" Miroku asked as his eyes fell back on the creature in front of them. "To tell the truth, I have no Idea. I was kind of wildly swinging in the dark before, but I believe it's somewhere near his waist, if you can call it that" Inuyasha said as he stumbled over to them.

"Really now..." Miroku shook his head once more. "Well, we might as well try create a new one. We'll try to distract it while you get close enough to get a proper hit" Miroku said as he tiredly scratched the back of his neck. Inuyasha nodded and readied his sword once more. "I don't know if I'll get a proper hit though. After all I can only use my right hand at the moment, but we don't have a choice now, do we?"

He took a deep breath before facing the black demon again. "Ok, here goes!" Inuyasha growled as the beast prepared to leap once more. Kagome felt a sudden pulse flow through her and her eyes fell to the bow in her hand. Nothing. Had it only been her imagination?

Miroku and Sango started to run trough wards the demon, Inuyasha keeping the sideline as he tried to find a way around it. Things seemed to go according to plan as the demon focused on Miroku and Sango heading straight for it. Inuyasha came up from behind it as the glowing red Tessaiga were lifted high above him. He let it slice through the air as he brought it down to the demons head.

As the sword made contact with the scales, they gave away and the sharp blade went through the flesh. A pained cry tore through the air as the demon threw his head from side to side. "It worked!" everyone cheered as they watched the scene before them. "Don't celebrate to early now. It's not over yet!" Inuyasha called over the screams as he prepared the blade for the finishing blow.

He jumped into the air once more as he pointed the Tessaiga downwards, heading straight for the now blotted space on the demons head. Just as his sword were about to make contact with the flesh, the sword went right through it and planted itself deep into the ground below.

"W-what?!" Inuyasha stuttered, his eyes staring on the sand beneath his feet. Kagome stared at the empty spot before her, her eyes just as wide as her friends. What had just happened? Inuyasha's head moved in all directions, his eyes desperately trying to locate the now missing demon.

She felt another pulse explode in her hand. This time she hadn't imagine it. "What just happened?" She heard Sango call over at Miroku, her eyes just as confused as the rest. Another pulse. _'What is this?'_ Kagome's eyes widened as they searched the area. _'What is the bow trying to tell me?'_

Kagome slowly readied a new arrow as she placed the end of it between her middle- and forefinger, letting them wrap around the thin string of her delicate bow. Hesitantly she drew her fingers towards her body, the string giving away to her strength. _'Focus, Kagome. What do you see?' _her eyes narrowed slightly in concentration.

Suddenly a small, blue fire appeared before her eyes. The bow pulsed once more as her eyes widened. Realization shoot through her "It's not gone!" Kagome screamed over to her friends. "It's still on the very spot before you!"

"What?! Can you see it, Kagome?" Inuyasha called as he removed his sword from the ground and slightly jumped back, Tessaiga ready as soon as he landed. "No, but I think my bow can!" She loaded her arrow once more and sent it flying through the air, a purifying, purple light gracing the tip as it speeded through the air, heading for something invisible. Suddenly the bright spot moved slightly to the side and the purple light disappeared into the forest before them, but her arrow had served its purpose.

It happened in an blink of an eye, but nobody missed it as the air slightly flickered before them."There!" Inuyasha screamed and his own sword turned red once more. "Kagome's arrow blew it's cover!" Sango phrased as she herself readied her boomerang.

Kagome smiled in relief as she fetched another arrow from her bag. Suddenly her bow pulsed once more and her eyes shoot open. Before her the sand flew to the sides as the blue fire grew larger before her, fast. "Kagome! It's heading your way! Get out of there!" she heard Sango scream trough the air, but she would never make it even if she had tried.

_'Shot!'_ A voice in her head screamed. She had no time to delve over it as she loaded her arrow and let it slip past her fingers. The whole area lit up in a bright purple light as soon as the arrow left her fingers, vibrating through the air before it hit the blockade before her. Had her light always been that bright? The demons true form reviled itself as it gave one last trembling howl, before shattering into tiny pieces of light. The area turning dark once more.

A sudden fatigue came over her as she felt the world spin before her eyes. She suddenly gave away to the blackness, her body colliding with the moist sand beneath her.

When she came too, it was already light outside. Her eyes slipped past the blur and finally made out the dark ceiling above her. She tiredly blinked as her mind tried to remember where she was. As she gave an attempt to get up, a sudden pain shoot through her head and her hand went up to cover the area. After the ache had calmed down a bit, her tired eyes traveled around the room.

It took a while to realize but as her mind came too, she recognized the room as Kaede's hut. Kagome clumsily sat up and brought her feet out of the covers, letting them meet the cold moist floor below her. The world kept spinning before her eyes, but she slowly got up from the bed, supporting herself on the wall beside her.

She suddenly heard voices outside the hut, but her mind was too fuzzy to make out which belonged to who. She shakily made her way towards the exit, one step at the time. As she got closer she recognized Kaede's voice as she appeared to be talking to someone else.

Carefully she removed one of her hands from the supportive wall, directing it to the straw curtain separating her from the world outside. As she pushed the covers slightly to the side, the bright light hit her eyes and had to shut them for a second to let them get used to the sudden change.

She heard the voices halt a moment and slowly she started to open her eyes one at a time. As her eyes slightly got used to the light they met the shocked faces of the people before her. She blinked slightly as she stopped midway of the opening. Kaede, Inuyasha and Sango stood before her. "Kagome! You're awake!" Kaede voiced, but it was Inuyasha that came striving over to her. He gently took a hold of her shoulders before her eyes met his. "How are you feeling?" he quietly asked as worry took place in his eyes.

"I'm fine, Inuyasha. Just a bit dizzy. Sorry for worrying you." Kagome smiled up at him. "My memories are a bit fuzzy at the moment though" she mumbled as her hand once more reached for her aching head.

"No wonder, my child. You have slept for nearly three days in row." Kaede spoke as she took a few steps forward. Kagome's eyes shoot open and traveled to Kaede's. "W-what did you just... Three days?!" she stuttered and for a moment she was thankful for Inuyasha's supportive hands.

"You suddenly collapsed before us... No matter how much we tried to wake you, it was no use..." Inuyasha huskily whispered as she felt his grip slightly tighten. Kagome felt a sting of guilt shoot through her. She had no idea she had been gone for so long.

"Inuyasha and the rest have informed me with some of the details from the battle earlier." Kaede spoke again, her voice suddenly turning serious. "Appealingly you was the only one who could see the demon when nether of the other's could. Do you perhaps... remember anything?"

Kagome stared at Kaede for a second before trying to sort out her memories of that night. "Yeah... I do remember some of it, but..." Kagome spoke silently as she let her eyes fall back at Inuyasha's. "What is it, Kagome?" he whispered slightly, his eyes measuring her face as he spoke. "It's kind of hard to explain really..."

"Don't worry. Just give it a try, and we'll see if we can get it or not" Sango spoke as she smiled over at Kagome. She nodded and took a deep breath before she spoke. "At the moment Inuyasha was trapped beneath the black-scaled demon, I wasn't... I hadn't been able to fire my arrow..." the silence swept over them as she spoke "no matter how hard I tried to pull the string of my bow, it just wouldn't budge..."

"But frankly that's not the strangest part at all. At first I thought I was imagining it, but on the second time I clearly felt it. The bow I received from Jinejin... pulsed inside my hand. Like it was alive"

She saw the confusion in their eyes and lightly shook her head, her eyes falling to her now empty hand. "At the moment Inuyasha's Tessaiga swept through the demon, it disappeared before our eyes. That's when I felt the bow pulsed for the second time. It was as if it was trying to tell me something... I know it sounds absurd, but I gave my arrow another try and this time the string gave away. That's when the bright spot appeared before my eyes."

"You mean... that the bow made it possible for you to see the demon?" Sango asked, her mind clearly trying its best to understand what Kagome just had told them.

"Not quite. I didn't see it really, only the location of it in a form of a blue flame, if you could call it that." Kagome spoke as her eyes fell on Sango. "But I wasn't really sure what that meant at the time, so I fired one arrow in the direction of it... and that's when the fire moved. The rest of it you already know"

Silence fell upon them as Kagome's words started to sink in. "But then again, it doesn't explain why you suddenly fainted" Inuyasha spoke as he let his hands slip past her shoulders, falling back to place by his sides. "I think I can explain that part." Kaede said and both Inuyasha and Kagome turned in her direction.

"It's just a theory though, but I believe that Kagome-sama's powers had been kept still for so long that when her life was threatened, she released all her powers in that last shoot"

Kagome stared in awe at the older miko. It really hadn't hit her how long it's been since she had actually used her powers. She had tried to stay as far away from anything that might remind her of the feudal era these past three years, and using the bow was one of them. But now that she was back it had just come so natural to her. When she thought about it, it all made sense.

Suddenly she remembered why Inuyasha and Miroku had left them earlier that night, and her eyes fell back to Inuyasha. "Did you find something in the woods earlier?" she silently asked him, earning a confused look from the hanyou before her. His eyes eventually widened in realization but they soon narrowed slightly as his eyebrows contracted.

"We couldn't find anything, but this stench always found its way to my nose. Every time we thought we had closed in on it, the smell changed course and swept further away from us. Before we knew it we were drawn further and further away from the village." He paused a second before continuing. "We didn't understand it was a trap before it almost was too late. The smell of blood had us turn instantly. The smell of yours..." he huskily whispered the memories came back to him.

"One thing's for sure. We were set up, but by who I'm not sure. And that someone seems awfully familiar about us, why else would they use the presence of **him** to drive us away?" Kagome watched as Inuyasha clenched his jaw.

Inuyasha was right. That sensation earlier had clearly been as close as it could get to the half demon they defeated three years ago. But there was no way he could be here now. He had left this life with the company of the Shikon no Tama. _'but who would set us up like that, and why?'_ Kagome worriedly shook her head.

Suddenly she remembered Shippo's state and felt panic take over her reason once more. "Shippo! How is he doing?"  
Inuyasha lightly placed his gentle hand on her shoulder once more "Don't worry, Kagome. He's fine, more than fine actually. That kid has more guts than one gives him credit for" He smiled as he watched her eyes fill with tears.

His ears suddenly flicked to the side as his expression changed massively. "You have got to be kidding me!" he growled as he turned his back to her. She didn't understand before later that he was actually trying to cover her. The sound finally reached her own as she turned her head in the direction of it. The sight had her slightly smile as she recognized the whirlwind heading straight for them.

As the wind cleared, it revealed the too familiar sight of the wolf pack's leader and to Kagome's surprise, his beautiful redhead fiancée, Ayame. "Hello, Kouga, Ayame. It's good to see you both again" Kagome greeted them as her head stuck up from behind Inuyasha's shoulder. Kouga stepped forward and somehow managed to grab a hold of Kagome's hand despite Inuyasha's attempt to block it.

"Oh, my dear Kagome. I dreamed of the day I would get to see you again. I could smell that beautiful scent of yours from miles away" he spoke as he kissed the top of her hand. Kagome gave her usual smile, but soon felt her hand slip out of Kouga's grasp as a not so pleased Inuyasha stepped in between the two.

"Oh, how do we owe this **pleasure**, wolf scum?" Inuyasha spoke trough his teeth, his hand pushing her further behind his back. "I wasn't talking to you, **mutt**!" Kouga growled back at him and Kagome couldn't do more than shake her head.

Her attention went back to Ayame as she approached her, both grabbing each other's hands. "How have you been, Ayame? It's been so long!" Kagome smiled to the redhead as she felt her energy start to regain in her body. "I'm doing good, Kagome. Frankly I couldn't be better!" Ayame beamed back earning a confused look from Kagome.

"Don't tell me you don't know?" Ayame asked as realization hit her. "Know what?" Kagome blinked as her eyes went from her to Sango and back to Ayame again. "I'm married now! Me and Kouga that is!" She brightly smiled as she showed her the silver bracelet surrounding her wrist.

Kagome blinked once more as her eyes traveled from the bracelet and over at Kouga who still had his hand's filled with fighting of Inuyasha. She pointed in his direction as her eyes fell back to Ayame's green ones. She nodded as the blush started to spread to her cheeks. Kagome's eyes widened as realization hit her, quickly she tightened her grip around Ayame's hands "Really?!"

They started jumping up and down in excitement, happy tears lingering in their eyes. They both stopped for a moment, only to embrace the other right after. "Since when?" Kagome asked as they pulled away. "Half a year now. Time really flies by so quickly, and to think that you found a way back to us! I couldn't be more happy!" Ayame spoke as she gave Kagome another tight hug.

"You stupid wolf, why don't you return to where you came from already!" Inuyasha's voice hissed through the air. Kagome tiredly pulled back from the hug as her eyes fell to the battle taking place a few steps from them.

"Hah, I have just as much right to be in Kagome's presence as you, doggy-boy! But I could do without your terrible body odor! When did you last take a bath?! Oh wait, that wouldn't help now, would it?" Kouga teased as he kicked Inuyasha straight in the face.

Kagome could have swore she had heard something crack, but it was neither his nose nor his head. She watched as his fists tremble for a second. "Why you! I'll teach you how to tame that stupid mouth of yours!" His hand's flew for the Tessaiga hanging by his waist. _'And there went his reason...'_ Kagome signed as she shook her head.

"Inuyasha, sit..." she breathed tiredly. Inuyasha was pulled hard towards the ground below, giving a loud growl as his face planted deep into it. Things never did change now, did they? He soon regained from the shook as his eyes shoot back up to Kagome's "What the hell did you do that for?! He's the one who started it!" He growled once more, but Kagome simply ignored him.

"Serves you right, mutt!" Kouga laughed as he pointed at the hanyou on the ground, covering his stomach in the process. "Kouga, dear" Ayame's sweet voice reached his ears and he slightly gulped as his eyes traveled over to his wife. Ayame had already made her way over to him as her hand graced the tip of his jaw, before letting it travel to one of his pointy ears. Her fingers wrapped around the tip of it as she pinched it hard.

"We are guests here, remember? Behave yourself!" she hissed trough her teeth and Kouga shut his eyes in an attempt to cover himself from the loud voice. "Y-yes..." he silently whispered, but he kept his eyes closed. "Yes what, dear?" Ayame asked as she pinched his ear harder. "Y-yes, dear..." he mumbled and suddenly everyone started laughing, a bright blush forming in his already red face.

**Hahaha, poor Kouga! Pewh, this chapter really got the best of me! I never thought I would finish! I'm so tired at the moment that I could just fall asleep on my computer... But I hope it was to your liking! Next chapter will be up as soon as I get the time to write it.  
See you soon!**


	7. Ch 7: Out in the open

_**Author's note:**_ _Hello, everybody! Finally I have the next chapter ready for you guys! Man, this took a while to write! I've been quite busy with school the past week...  
Oh, well... enough with my complaining. It's a bit longer chapter this time. Hope you don't mind and I hope you find it to your liking^^  
Inspiration music this time was the songs "I was here" by Beyoncè. _  
Enjoy!

Disclaiming: :

_I do not own __**Inuyasha**__ nor its characters. It all belongs to __**Rumiko Takahashi!**_

_**Chapter 7: Out in the open**_

Kagome laid under her already too warm covers, her eyes staring at the dark ceiling above her. The day had passed faster than to her liking, and now she found it hard to fall asleep. After "sleeping" for nearly three days straight, how was she supposed to now? Besides she couldn't even if she wanted to. Too much was summing inside her head.

What had really happened that night? That question still laid unsolved as they had parted earlier today. But putting the dark demon aside, she just couldn't get that voice outside of her head. _'I clearly heard it. As clear as my own thoughts'_ she blinked slightly, the dryness were starting to hurt her eyes. 'Like someone was screaming from inside my head...'

She tiredly shook her head and signed. But how was that possible? Her head rolled slightly to the side, eyes falling on the mysterious white bow in the corner of the room. Miroku and Sango had offered her to spend the night at their house, but she had kindly declined it. She didn't want to penetrate their private life, and besides she needed space to clear her head. Kaede had thankfully granted her a smaller hut on the outskirts of the village, which nobody used at the moment. It was cozy and small, just her size.

The bow was leaning up against the wooden wall, no sign of life coming from it. She sighed once more before sitting up in her bed _'What did I expect?'_

She took a deep breath _'Well, I'm not getting much sleep anyways. Might as well go for a walk' _she slid out of her bed, her feet meeting the coldness of the floor, but she found it comforting at the moment. She headed for her clothes which laid neatly folded on the chair by the entrance. She had to remind herself to place them closer to her bed next time, in case of emergency.

After dressing herself she headed for the straw curtains covering the opening, but halted for a moment as her eyes fell back to her bow. After confirming something with herself she went over and picked up both the bow and arrows before exiting the hut. She wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

She couldn't shake of this feeling of them being played with. The grip around her bow tightened greatly as she made her way through the village, faster than she first had intended. Her so called "calming walk" failed greatly as it now turned into more like a sprint.

But after a while she halted as her eyes lifted to the glowing sky above her. The stars were beautiful as they shimmered in all sort of strength and sizes. She closed her eyes for a second as she let the cool breeze breathe through her raven hair. She breathed softly as she took it all in, before slowly opening her eyes once more.

Her ears captured movement in the leaves above and her eyes went to the tree beside her. She noticed how the leaves quickly pulled together, and she didn't fail to get a glimpse of the silver tips disappearing inside the bushes. She couldn't help but laugh, he had never been any good at hiding, had he?

"You can come down now, Inuyasha" she laughed softly as his head popped up from within the green leafs, a guilty look painted on his face. He gracefully jumped down beside her, his ears slightly lowered. "I didn't mean to spy on you, Kagome... I saw you leave your hut earlier, and wondered if something happened... When I was about to call out to you, you suddenly halted. I didn't want to frighten you so I hid myself..." he mumbled silently as he faced the ground below them, glancing up at her every now and then as he spoke.

Kagome stared at him for a second before her light laughter filled the air, causing a slight blush to form in his cheeks. "D-don't laugh! I was worried about you, you know?" he stuttered as his ears pointed skywards again.

She let her eyes fall to his warm golden ones as her hand traveled to his face. "Yeah, I know. Sorry for laughing at you." He simply stared down at her, slightly blinking "But Inuyasha, how in the world can you possible frighten me after all we have been through?" she smiled softly at the confusion in his eyes. She soon felt his warm hand cover her own as his eyes softened slightly.

"You cold?" he softly spoke as his thumb graced the top of her hand, running circles over it. "A bit, but I'm fine. I needed the fresh air." she smiled back up at him, but she couldn't help the beat speeding up inside her chest.

She felt him remove his hand and watched as he started to remove his haori. "I-Inuyasha, you don't have to do tha-" "It's ok, Kagome. I'm always warm, remember? Besides I don't want you to get a cold" he interrupted her as he completely removed the red coat and slid it behind her body in one swift movement, before slipping it over her shoulders.

She felt the warmth from it immediately start to slip past her own clothes and softly grace her skin, causing the awaited goose-bumps to raise. She brought her free hand up to slightly grasp it, preventing it from slide of her shoulders, her other hand kept her bow in place. She felt how a different kind of warmth found its way to her face. Nope, she still wasn't used to this.

His scent filled her senses as the warmth of his haori started to make her comfortable. She slowly glanced up at him and noticed him staring at her. She quickly cleared her throat and thanked him.

He nodded as his eyes fell back to the road before them. "Want to take a walk with me?" He spoke as he glanced back at her over his shoulder. She smiled softly "I'd love to"

They walked in silence for a moment, only the stars keeping them company. It had been so long since she last wore his red haori, it almost brought back tears in her eyes. She had finally come to accept the dream she now lived in. It couldn't be more. It couldn't be less. She was really back. And the one walking beside her now was not a shadow, nor a memory. She slightly closed her eyes, taking in the moment. Treasuring it.

After a while Inuyasha decided to break the silence as he lightly cleared his throat "You couldn't sleep? That's why you went out this late?" he asked as his eyes met hers.

She stared at him for a moment before smiling. "Yeah, but it's not like I'm tired. After all I haven't done anything else but sleep these past three days, so it's not like I need any." her eyes swept back to the sky above them. Another silence followed as they appeared to have halted.

"Want to talk about it?" he huskily asked her as he gently placed one of his hands on her shoulder. She glanced over at him and saw his eyes grow more stern for a moment. "It's nothing really. Just slightly confused"

"Yeah, no wonder..." he breathed softly as his own eyes joined the sky above them. The wind swept past them in one swift motion, and she had to really hold on to his haori for a slight moment to not have it escape. The wind gave away as a shadow covered her face. As she looked up Inuyasha's back came into view.

He gave signal for her to get on and she blinked slightly. "I want to show you something..." he mumbled as he crouched down to make it easier for her to climb on. She hesitated for a second, but soon brought her arms around his neck and leaned into his body. She felt his own arms slide beneath her as they supported her weight before he rose to his feet once more.

The wind brushed past her face as they made their way through the forest. She had no idea where he lead her, but to be honest she didn't mind. She simply enjoyed the presence of him. She had really missed these moments the most. The closeness of his body to her own, his silent breathing. No words were needed. She leaned her head against his shoulder as she gave a soft sigh.

How she had made it through those hash three years was still a mystery to her. But her family had been really supportive, and brought her up so many times. Even in the darkest times. It made her believe, or rather gain a small flicker of hope that she'd one day return to the feudal era... to him.

The dark bushes swept past her eyes as the clearing came into view. Inuyasha continued past the forest, clearly knowing where he was headed. She had never been in these tracts before, and lifted her head once more to get a better view over his shoulder. She blinked slightly, the wind drying her eyes as she tried to focus them on something further on, but it was no use. It was still too dark for her to make out anything, she knew it was different for Inuyasha though.

Before she knew it, they were heading upwards as Inuyasha jumped up a hillside, taking three great stones in one jump. He suddenly halted and gave signal for her to climb down. She did what was asked and slid of his back, her feet softly planted into the soft grass below her. She lightly glanced around, but it was only forest as long as her eyes could reach. She blinked slightly before her eyes went back to Inuyasha. He must have noticed this as he gave a more amused smile before reaching for her hand.

"Close your eyes" he whispered as his fingers wrapped gently around it. Still a bit confused she did as he asked and let her eyelids slide down, darkness replacing the already lacing light source. She felt him pull her arm slightly forward as he started to lead her up the hillside. "Watch your steps, some of these stones are quite unstable" his voice felt so much closer now that she only had to rely on her hearing and the warm hand wrapped around hers. She was surprised of how calm she felt. The sky could fall down at this very moment and she couldn't have felt more safe.

She felt him let go of her hand and the sudden safety disappeared like a breath of the wind. "You can open them now, Kagome." he voiced as he appeared to have taken place beside her. Slightly she started to open her eyes, one at a time. The sight before completely left her breath taken.

She was surprised she hadn't noticed the beautiful scent earlier. It now filled her senses as her eyes widened. Before her laid a great white field, glowing in the moonlight. She couldn't find words as she started to step forward like she was in an trance. She barely heard his silent steps as he moved in to stand beside her once more.

White flowers as far as her eyes could reach swayed softly in the wind. Small spheres of light floated in the air above them, their glow fading only to lighten back up again. Fireflies in all of the rainbows color. As if Inuyasha had read her mind he spoke "Moon flowers. They only bloom in the light of the moon and closes as soon as it vanishes" he explained as he smiled slightly.

"I... use to come here when I need to clear my head." he silently spoke, she noticed him halt slightly as he spoke. Like he was choosing his words carefully. "I can see why. This is beautiful, Inuyasha" she still was overwhelmed by the sight before her.

"Naming their child after you wasn't the only thing they did to honor you, you know?" he spoke as he glanced over at her. She stared at him for a second as she tried to digest what he had just said.

"What do you mean?" she asked as she studied him intensely for answers. He only smiled before turning his eyes back to the flower field.

"Miroku and I traveled to a village in the north once. We had heard about the recent attacks there and did what we could to help. As a payment for the deed we did, an older man gave us a bag of seeds. Miroku tried to explain that he only was interested in rice from their village, which he had already received, but the man kept on insisting to take it for saving his granddaughter. We saw no other solution but to accept the offer, and the man kept bowing his head to us as we left the village."

"Once we arrived home, Miroku handed the bag to Sango and asked if she knew what kinds of seed it was. She had opened the bag without a question and picked up one handful. She studied the small seeds in her hand for quite some time, her eyes widening as she kept mumbling to herself. She suddenly started to ask us where we had found them. Miroku had told her about the older man and how he had kept insisting." Inuyasha smiled at the remembrance before he continued.

"And to say it like she did _"Did he give these to you just like that? Do you have any ideas how rare these are?!" _You should have seen Miroku's face that night. It was hilarious" he laughed as he shook his head.

"Sango thought the flowers resembled you, so she asked if it was ok for her to plant them. After all it was a shame to just leave such beauty hidden from the open, her words precisely" he cleared his throat for a second as if remembering something, but he soon shook his head.

"Since they needed the moon to bloom, we had to find an area where the moon always shone. Everyone spent every second of their free time planting the seeds here."

Kagome stared wide eyed at the glowing field before her, tears starting to burn her eyes. "I can't believe you all did this for me..." she whispered as the wind blew through her hair.

"Sango was still carrying the twins in her womb at that time, you know. We tried to hold her back and make her rest, but she kept insisting on finishing the field. Even I was worried for her safety, considering her being as strong as she is." Inuyasha shook his head in awe.

"I have to thank her in the morning." Kagome smiled as she dried the escaped tear from her cheek. "And thank you, Inuyasha. For showing this to me" He glanced over at her and smiled.

She closed her eyes for a moment as she took a deep breath. The cool air filling her lungs. "I... I heard this voice inside my head" she spoke as her eyes fell back on glowing flowers. She felt him shift beside her "Voice? On the night of the attack?" his voice held something she couldn't quite put her finger on, but she slightly nodded before she spoke once more.

"I still haven't told anyone about it. I thought I might have been imagining it all, besides there is more important things to be concerned about." she paused slightly as she glanced over at him. His face was hard to read in the dark. She simply smiled before her eyes lifted to the sky above them. "A voice as clear as my own thoughts. I know this sounds strange but I think... I believe it was the bow trying to communicate with me. It has already proved to not be an ordinary bow anyways" she shook her head as she brought her hand tiredly up to her face. She started pressing her throbbing temple as her mind drifted off to that night.

_'Shot!' _the voice still echoed inside her head. Over and over. She pressed harder as the throbbing increased in strength, growing more and more painful each passing second. She felt her eyes start to close. _'Who... are you?' _the throbbing still increasing.

Every time she had tried to focus on the voice alone, this summing kept building up until she had no other choice to let it slip. She had tried over and over since she entered her small hut for the night. She still hadn't progressed.

Suddenly she felt her hand being pulled to the side, as warm hands cupped her cheeks. She opened her eyes and a pair of glowing golden spheres met her own. Inuyasha was now blocking the view as he had stepped in front of her. "Are you in pain?" his voice were barely a whisper as his thumbs stroked her cheeks. That's when she noticed the coldness in her face. She brought her own hand up to it, the tips of her fingers coming in contact with the moistness. She removed her hand and stared down at it, her fingers glittering in the moonlight "What?"

_'Why am I crying? And why didn't I notice before now?'_ She suddenly remembered Inuyasha and quickly started to brush them away as she put on a smile. "What has come over me? Maybe I'm more tired than I thought." she tried to laugh it off, but she could still feel his eyes on her. "It's nothing, Inuyasha. I'm fine. Sorry for spoiling the mood" she smiled up at him.

"You sure about that? You're not the kind of person who would just cry for nothing, Kagome." he huskily spoke, his eyes growing more concerned. "Don't worry about it. It just a slight headache. I guess my body still hasn't regained its former strength." she assured him once more and lightly stroked his hand. "Thanks for worrying, but I'm fine now"

He stared intensely at her for a few more seconds before slightly nodding and let his hands fall only to linger on her shoulders. Was it just her or did his face feel closer all of the sudden?

"Kagome? Inuyasha? Is that you?" A voice from behind them pulled her out of her trance as she turned her head in the direction of it. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of the figure down below. "Ayame? What are you doing out here so late?" she called down to her. She heard Inuyasha mumble something under his breath as he removed his hands, but it drowned beneath Ayame's reply "I was about to ask the same. Me and Kouga were just out to catch some night snacks" she grinned widely as she lifted a pair of rabbits above her head. Kagome simply smiled down at her before noticing the darker figure heading towards them.

Kouga soon joined in beside Ayame as his own eyes traveled up to the hill where the pair of them stood. "Good evening Kagome. You're as beautiful as ever"

"Hello, Kouga. You find the forest appropriate for your hunting?" Kagome laughed as she moved slightly closer to Inuyasha, her hand traveled over to his sleeve, making sure the pair below them didn't notice. She felt him shift beneath her touch and for a second she could have sworn he had stared her down.

"Of course, Kagome. This forest really swarms of life. It's been a long time since we have seen as much rabbits in one place" He grinned up at her as he placed his hands proudly into his sides. She spotted the four grate rabbits hanging from his belt. She couldn't help but laugh. "Glad to see that you thrive in this area. Just feel like you're home, and if you need anything just ask, ok?"

"Don't worry, Kagome. He always loose his reason when he hunts. I'll try to keep him in check so that he don't take down the whole forest with him!" Ayame called back up at her, earning a puppy growl from Kouga. "I don't lose control! I'm just exited!"

Everyone started laughing, including Inuyasha which shocked Kagome slightly, but even Inuyasha enjoyed a good laughter when he felt like it. "You heading back to the village then?" Kagome asked.

"Nah, we find it easier to sleep in the forest were we belong, but we will see you guys in the morning." Kouga called back up to them and Kagome nodded slightly. "If you say so, but you are always welcome if you change your mind"

"We really appreciate that, Kagome. Talk with you in the morning then" Ayame smiled before they both headed back towards the forest.

Kagome lightly shook her head as she laughed sincerely, her eyes traveling back to Inuyasha. "They really are something, aren't they?"  
Inuyasha laughed slightly as he too shook his head. "That's one way to describe them." He shifted slightly as he pointed in the direction of the village. "You want to head back then? The sun will set in a few hours. You might want to get some sleep before the day starts"

She had been so lost in the **now** that the thought of returning never crossed her mind. She tiredly sighed as she stretched her arms high above her head. "I guess you right. It's a shame though. This view is to die for" Inuyasha laughed slightly at this. "I know how you feel. The day is always calling. I'm just glad it's different now" he smiled slightly as his eyes fell to the slight horizon before them, the first signs of the sun starting to show over the mountains.

"Different? How so?" she asked as she followed his eyes to the red horizon. She felt his hand wrap around hers as it tightened slightly. "You are here now" he spoke as he smiled over at her. She smiled back up at him and nodded, her eyes glistening in the light of the sun.

"Well then, lets head back. I have a feeling Sango will kill me for taking your precious sleep away" He said as he let go of her hand, only to guide his own underneath her knees, the other grabbing her shoulder as he swept her of the ground and into his arms. "Yeah, we wouldn't want that now, would we?" Kagome laughed as she brought her hands around his neck for support. "Hold on tight. This will tickle a bit" He grinned down at her before leaping out off the cliff.

The wind blew her hair wildly upwards as she tightened her grip around his neck, laughter slipping past her lips. He gracefully landed on the ground below, but her laughter still lingered in the air. "I'll never get used to that feeling! I don't get how you manage to do that all the time" she dried her tears as she tried to silence her laughter. "Well, I'm not like you, remember. Besides it's a part of me so it comes as easy as breathing" he smiled gently down at her.

Her smile faded slightly as her hand traveled up to his face, lightly brushing his hair to the side to reveille the scar on his forehead. "You never told me how you got this scar." she mumbled as her fingers traced the uneven line without directly touching it.

She felt him stiffen slightly beneath her touch, but soon relaxed his shoulders. "To be frank, I don't remember..." he whispered as he gently put her down. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she looked at him questioningly. He stared down at her a long moment before he took a deep breath, as if to prepare himself for what was to come.

"I was walking through the village one day when I suddenly heard... screams in the direction of the bone eaters well. I quickly ran to check it out but no matter where I searched I couldn't find... the person screaming." he closed his eyes at the remembrance as a pained expression found its way to his face.

"I only remember a blackout, and when I came too, Tessaiga laid loosely beside me. I felt this stiffness in my face and discovered the solidified blood. As I tried to sit up a great pain shoot through my head." he paused as he clenched his jaw.

Kagome's eyes widened "So you mean... You were attacked?" she asked as worry crept up on her. "I don't know, really... I told Miroku about it, and he was just as surprised as I was" Inuyasha spoke his eyes still closed.

"When did this happen?" Kagome asked, her eyes glued on his face. "About three mounts ago, I think" his voice trailed off as he was lost in thoughts. A silence fell upon them before Kagome dared to speak again."But Inuyasha, how come you got a scar? You don't usually get them, do you?"

He didn't answer at first so she thought that he maybe hadn't heard her. As she was about to ask again, Inuyasha spoke. "I asked myself the same question over and over, but I still can't come up with a solution... It's so stupid really... How could I let something like that happen to me so easily?" he mumbled under his breath as his hand traveled to his face, covering it with the hand.

She stared at him for a moment, sadness filling her eyes. She couldn't possible begin to imagine how he was feeling. Pride had always been a great part of him and how he was, even though that had changed as they traveled together in the past. This was something that had marked him for life, and he didn't remember how it happened.

"Could it be... that you were set up in some way, Inuyasha?" Kagome carefully asked as she laid a comforting hand above his. She felt him stiffen underneath her once more and looked up from within his hand. "You said you heard a scream, but you couldn't find the owner right? Isn't that a bit strange? You should have been able to smell that person, right?" he let down his hand only to wrap around hers and bring it down with his.

"You..." he whispered, his now saddened eyes held hers firmly. "What?" she asked and felt his grip around her hand tighten. "It was you. The voice... That terrible scream... It was you" his voice cracked in the end as she felt her body being pulled against him. The usual warm and strong arms were shaking against her body as they wrapped around her tightly.

Her eyes widened as it all came sinking in on her. He had been set up to believe she was in danger, to drag him out from the village. Why she still was uncertain of, but could it have anything to do with the attack three days ago? Was they connected in any way?

She let her arms wrap around his waist as her hands found their way to his back, tucking into his haori. "Inuyasha, nothing happened to me. I'm here now, am I not?" she whispered as she hugged him tighter. His head buried itself into her shoulder, his silver hair tickling her face slightly. "Inuyasha, listen to me" she tried as she gave an attempt to look at his face, but he only dug his head further into her hair, no signs of wanting to let her go.

She felt so lost. How was she supposed to make him listen to her? She tilted her head slightly sideward, his silver ear coming into view. She found no other solution so she blew into it. The reaction was immediate as his head shoot up, one of his hands letting go of her as it flew up to cover his ear. Not anybody would have noticed, but Kagome did. They barely lingered on his lashes for a faint second before he quickly blinked them away. "What did you do th-!"

She had done the first thing that came to her mind. Her hands had went up to his face as she tiptoed, his face closing in before the darkness. Her lips planted on his.

**Omg, I can't believe I ended it here!** **Sorry guys, but I have to leave some for the next chapter too.  
Trust me I really wanted to continue this, but I just can't in this chapter! XD  
I wanted to put a bit more focus on Inuyasha and Kagome in this chapter, like you most likely noticed. I hope you liked it. I'm sorry if you find something hard to understand. I'm quite tired at the moment, so I might have written something that doesn't make sense! XD  
I don't know when I'll be able to publish the next chapter since the main project in school starts from tomorrow on, and I won't be done with it before somewhere in May. Hopefully I'll be able to publish before that, but I don't know. See you next time! :D**


	8. Ch 8: Strength & Differences

**Authors note:** _Hello everybody! I finally got time to write! (Or rather I pushed my schoolwork to the side to be able to! XD It will get back on me later... But I feel it was worth it!) I wrote this chapter in two days, but I have pondering a whole lot about how to start this chapter ever since I posted last chapter. I like the way this turned out thought, I hope you do to. Inspiration songs this time have been only instrumental songs. The first was a piano song from one of my favorite Korean actors. Goo Hye Sun with the song "The sound of rain at night". You should really listen to it! I didn't even know she was composing songs before I found this one yesterday! And for the last one it's my favorite soundtrack from one of the online games I'm playing. It's just so beautiful! Those of you who play Guild Wars 2 would really know of this song. It's called "The Tengu Wall" and I would really recommend this soundtrack to all of you. It's so calming! Enough of my blabbering, I'll let you read now! XD_  
Enjoy!

**Disclaiming:** _I do not own Inuyasha. It all belongs to Rumiko Takahashi._

_**Chapter 8: Strength &Differences **_

The heart slammed hard against her chest, and she could hear her own heartbeats loud and clear. She had to remind herself how to breathe over and over. She had no idea for how long they stood like that, but she really treasured every moment of it. Eventually she decided to pull back, opening her eyes as they met those warm golden eyes, staring down at her. To say they were shocked would be underestimating the situation. Kagome gave a soft laugh as she grabbed his nose and lightly shook it. "Serves you right. You can be quite stubborn sometimes, you know that?"

She let go of his nose and let her hand fall back to place, her smile still lingering on her lips. Surprisingly, a smile found its way to Inuyasha's lips too, and he reached for her hand once more, his eyes followed his own motion. "You never fail to surprise me..." he lifted her hand up to his face, his warm eyes gracing the back of her hand before he linked his fingers in between hers. She felt her eyes slightly widen as a tingling sensation streamed from his touch and up her arm. He brought her now united hand close to his face, his lips softly pressing against it.

Warmth started spreading in her cheeks, but she liked the feeling for once. If her heart had been beating before, it would be dead compared to this. "I know I have said this before, but you really have changed, you know that?" She spoke, surprised off how calm her voice came out of her mouth. He laughed softly, sending a new wave of tingling streamed up her arm before he made some room between his lips and her hand, his warm breath still lingering on it. "The way you put it, I must have been a jerk." his eyes still closed.

"Trust me you were." Kagome teased, a mocking smile planted on her lips. He laughed once more "I know, I know. Years do something to people... Even someone like me." his eyes now opened and they met her sympatric eyes, a slightly saddened smile had found its way to her lips now. "With you gone, I had nothing but time... And the time made me think. I went so deep I almost went under..." He laughed softly. "If it weren't for Miroku and the rest I probably would have. I was at my lowest when the trapper made me believe you were back and in danger... This scar is a forever remainder of my mistakes and weakness" Inuyasha was about to say something more, but Kagome interrupted him.

"Weakness is good, Inuyasha. You can't be strong or get stronger without it, you hear me? It's those who take advantage other's weaknesses for their own good who truly is weak and cowardly" She assured him, without knowing it her voice had raised a few levels as she spoke. She couldn't help it thought. She hated people who took advantage of others. Naraku had been one of them. Her thoughts went to Sango and Kohaku. So much pain and suffering they both had gone through. And Kagura. Even thought she had damaged them and ruined them so many times, all she did was following orders so that she one day would receive her freedom. Her heart. In the end she did get her freedom, but Naraku had only let her feel that happiness for a few seconds, but to Kagura those few heartbeats had been like an entire life alone. Kanna had also died with a faint hope that Kagome and Inuyasha would revenge Kagura's death.

And... Inuyasha and Kikyo... Like puppets played by Naraku's hands... The lacing of trust and knowledge drove the two lovers to kill each other, even thought Kikyo died of the damage the fake Inuyasha had inflicted on her... As they grew to know the truth, the real truth, pain and regret started to grow between them. Wondering why the lack of strength and trust had found its way to their hearts. Why they didn't know what they did now... Why they didn't see that they were a part of a silly game to make them hate each other. Together, yet separately they headed for the same goal. Revenge. Putting an end to all of this suffering, and taking Naraku down with them.

In the end it was the Shikon no tama's who was the major culprit. Naraku was only one of its victims... Sadly he had played his role to its fullest, so many death's had laid upon his shoulder, and he hadn't even blinked as he executed his evil plans.

The Shikon no Tama had brought her here, to destroy it for good, but she also got to meat Inuyasha. A destined meeting across time. An Impossible encounter, yet here she stood once more, proving the impossible possible. Time was so much, but to her it seemed like a blink of an eye now.

"So you're not weak at all, Inuyasha. I don't know anyone stronger than you. So if you ever think of yourself as weak, turn it to your strength" Her eyebrows had slightly met on the middle. "And for that scar, we will figure out together. Remember you are not alone anymore" Her comforting smile found its way back to her past serious lips.

He stared at her for a moment before he returned the smile, his grip around her hand tightening slightly. "I may have changed, but you remain the same..." he shook his head. "How is it that you manage to be so strong all the time?"

_'Strong? I haven't been strong at all...'_ she thought to herself as her eyes saddened slightly. The memories of the past three years came to her mind once more, a throbbing ache beat painfully inside her chest. Like someone was squishing her heart hard only to let go just as sudden, giving it no time to adjust itself. "I'm not strong, Inuyasha... Not for myself at last..." her voice came out like a fragile whisper.

"What are you talking about? how can you say that after all the things you have accomplished? " his voice muffled by her words, clearly not buying what she had just said.

She lightly shook her head as her eyes traveled to the swaying grass beside them, lost in thoughts. "I felt like I was imprisoned, you know? Like I was living the life of someone else. An empty shell striving around in the darkness." she laughed almost in disgust of herself. "The first month had been the hardest, when I still bore the hope of the well opening again, only to be disappointed all over again. I hurt my mother, grandfather and Souta the way I acted. Even though they didn't say anything or mention anything, they always took me in consideration when they spoke. Always putting on a smile when I was in the room. I know they meant good, but It hurt them just as much as it hurt me..."

"Kagome..." Inuyasha started, but she just shook her head slightly as she closed her eyes for a second. She breathed in the fresh air and reminded herself where she was now. "I decided to put it all behind me. It was hard, but for my family I did it. I went on with my life and let the time I spent here remain as a far off dream. Before I knew it, three years had passed, and I graduated once more. All my friends knew what they wanted to do with the rest off their life, but for me it was as if time had stopped. What was I supposed to do now that I had graduated? What did I want with my life? What had I been trying to reach in the first place? I simply couldn't remember what my goals had been up till then."

She opened her eyes, her long dark eyelashes covering her brown orbs. "I realized that It wasn't enough to pretend it had only been a dream. I couldn't get on with my life if I couldn't say goodbye to my past, since the past was holding me back. Three days after I had graduated, I went to the well-house for a Final visit. My final goodbye lingered on my lips, but I didn't dear speak them just yet. I had to say something, right? You just don't burry someone you care for and bluntly tell them goodbye."

She paused for a second as her eyes traveled up to his. Her sad eyes were reflected in his, but he didn't speak as he waited for her to finish. "As I spoke, I hoped that my voice somehow could reach you all. I gave my thanks and apologizes for not being able to get back to you guys, trying to figure out an explanation why I had to forget. Why I had to move on... As I was ready to say that last hurtful word who had kept me awake for so many nights, a final thought I believed I had put behind me a long time ago, found its way to my head once more. I sinfully wished for it one last time... It was only a wish, a faint hope spoken from my lips, but the too familiar breeze brushed through my hair as my eyes fell to the sky below" She smiled now, her eyes shining in the covers of her tears.

"I don't know how, and I don't know why, but somehow it brought me here" A stray tear slipped past her eye, but Inuyasha captured it before it got the chance to fall as he cupped her cheek gently with his warm hand, his thump wiping it away carefully. "...What did you wish for, Kagome?" his voice was slightly hoarse as his eyes softened.

She stared up at him for a long moment before she spoke "That I wanted to see you" a warm smile still lingering on her lips. She saw how his eyes widened greatly for a slight second before she felt herself being pulled into a tight embrace, his arms wrapped almost hurtfully around her body. "...yeah, I wanted to see you too..." his voice like a silent whisper in her ear, fresh tears building up in her eyes, but she lightly laughed. "I know it's real this time, me being here. It still a bit unbelievable thought" She paused slightly as she let her head rest up against his chest.

"Do... Do you think it has something to do with my wish upon the Shikon no Tama?" her voice trailed off as she waited for him to response. He lightly showed her back a bit so that he could see her eyes "How so? You made a wish of it disappearing for good" she nodded. "Exactly, but it kept tempting me to make a more selfish wish. It could sense my weaknesses. If you hadn't arrived I probably would have said it. Over and over I kept wishing inside my head for you to come get me, like you always would" she paused slightly to think before she continued.

"The Shikon no Tama had two sides, right? One good and one evil. One pure and one dark. If you overcame your selfish desires and made the sacred jewel disappear for good. What if the pure side of the jewel remained? and only then would it truly grant you what your heart desired without directly wishing upon it?" she stared at him for a moment before continuing "I didn't say what I truly wished, but made a choice of it disappearing for good, which mean my true wish was never granted" She paused once more as her hand traveled up to her head "I don't know why, but it sounded so smart when I thought about it just now, but now that I have said it..."

Inuyasha started laughing slightly as he lightly stroke the top of her head comfortingly. "You might be in on something there, but to be honest I don't know much about the Shikon myself. It's strange thought, considering us chasing it for so long, I never took the time to truly understand it"

"Yeah, but I'm glad that we don't have to worry about that anymore" she breathed, only the thought of how long they spent on finding the missing shards made her unwell. He laughed at this before shaking his head. "Truly, I'm glad it's all over. And I'm glad that it didn't end there... I wonder what would have become of me if you hadn't returned. I'm happy that your final goodbye wasn't final after all" he smiled down at her and she returned it.

As they finally made their way back to the village, the sun had already awakened, as it now bathed the houses and treetops with a warm orange glory. It wouldn't take long before the light turned much lighter, but for now Kagome didn't feel tired. She hadn't felt more awake in years. She stretched her hands high above her head, enjoying the way it relaxed her arms and back. "I can't believe you're still not tired. You haven't slept one blink yet, and a lot has happened since you last slept, you know." Inuyasha spoke as he walked beside her, his hands tucked in their familiar way inside the sleeves of his haori.

She laughed at this as she lightly shook her head before her eyes traveled over to him. "Don't worry about me, Inuyasha. I'm fine. Like I told you earlier I slept a bunch over the past three days, so that makes up for now. Besides I like spending time with you" He glanced over at her for a second before averting his eyes, a smile planted on his lips. "You have more of a wild side than I thought." he teased as he grinned down at her.

"Oh, so am wild now?!" she stated as she lightly hit his shoulder. "Well, obviously! You're the one who threw yourself on me" he snickered at her now wide eyes, a slight blush forming in her cheeks. "W-whoa! I didn't _throw_ myself on you! One kiss and you go all high and mighty!" They both laughed at this, the memories of tonight taking a special place in their hearts. A sudden sound had they both turn around, their eyes meeting wide purple ones.

"Mijori? Why are you up so early?" Kagome asked, but her eyes fell on the two wooden buckets wobbling by the girls feet, the dry ground drinking up the remains of water the buckets once had contained. "Let me help you with that" Kagome offered as she went over to her and bent down to pick up the buckets. As she rose to her feet once more she saw how pale Mijori looked "What's wrong? Do you feel unwell?" She freed one of her hands by placing the bucket in her other hand before lifting it up to measure the temperature on her forehead, but just as she was about to make contact, Mijori slapped her hand away before quickly turning around and sprinting in the opposite direction.

Kagome stood there dumb folded for a second before turning her attention back to Inuyasha, who seemed just as confused as she was. "Did I say something wrong?" She wondered, but he simply shook his head as his shoulders rose slightly. "Not that I recall. Mijori has always been a bit strange ever since she got here"

Kagome nodded understandingly, but her eyes traveled back to where Mijori disappeared earlier on. _'Is that really all there is to it?'_ she wondered, but decided to leave it for now. She would have to talk to Mijori later on to make sure she was ok. She went over to his side once more as she lifted the empty buckets. "We'll have to fill these at last. I'm sure she was asked to bring them back to the village" Inuyasha nodded at that, and they both headed in the direction of the river.

-

Mijori sat by the riverbank further into the forest, her head buried inside her knees, her arms wrapped tightly around them. Her back shook even so often as muffled sniffles could be heard every now and then. Footsteps behind her made her slightly look up as her eyes met the surface of the wandering water, green leafs traveling along with it. "Leave me alone! I don't want to talk with you now!" her loud voice hurt in her throat, but she ignored it.

"My oh my, dear child. What have caused you to feel so miserable?" an old voice spoke behind her, causing her to look over her shoulder reveling the escaped tears on her cheeks. A hooded short figure stood before her, supporting itself on an old wooden branch, his worried blue eyes staring down at her. White beard covered most parts of his chin, and the years had taken the best of his face. His dark green cape were patched and worn on most places. "Who... Who are you?" she asked as she used the back of her hand to dry away her traitorous tears.

"Oh, I'm just a lonesome traveler who happened to hear water nearby. I haven't drunken in a while you see." he smiled down at her. "But enough about me, why are you crying my dear?" he gently asked as he kept his distance to not frighten her.

"What is that to you? You're just a stranger anyways" She brushed him off as her eyes went back to the river. "Dear child, don't you see? That's exactly why you can tell me. Since I am an old and lonesome traveler, I won't tell a soul now, would I?" She turned to look at him once more, letting his words sink in.

"You mind if I settle down with you for a while? I won't be traveling before I have taken a break anyways." She nodded and moved slightly to the side, making room for the older man to sit down. "Thank you, dear one. I really appreciate that" he spoke as he went over to her and carefully sat down, supporting most of his weight on the thick old branch in his right hand.

He took a worn red bow out of his sleeve and bent over to capture some of the water passing by. As the bowl had filled up plenty of water, he sat back and brought it to his mouth, practically throwing the water down his throat. After he finished he dried his moth with the back of his sleeve before bending over to fetch some more, but he didn't drink it as he sat back into place beside her.

"So, you mind telling me what's on your mind dear one? You will feel better after you have let it out" he assured her as he gently placed his left hand on her shoulder. She was lost in thoughts for a moment before she spoke.

"It's this girl who just got to our village... Everyone is so happy to see her, but I don't see why. She hurt them for so long and suddenly she appears again, acting as if nothing has happened! Who does she think she is anyways? She ruins everything! Now she has Inuyasha in her grip too!" her voice rose without intention as she spoke. She buried her face into her knees again, biting down on her lower lip to keep back her tears.

She felt his hand on her back, as he tried to comfort her. He silently hushed her before he spoke once more. "This Inuyasha? Is he somebody you are found of?" She hesitated for a second before barely nodding her head. "He saved my life when our village was attacked one and a half years ago... He's just so kind... He don't deserve someone like her..." her voice cracked in the end.

"It pains me to see you in so much pain, my dear. Love hurts, that's just the way life is..." He comforted her as he lightly clapped her shoulder. "But have you told this Inuyasha how you feel?" this caused her to look up, her eyes widening. "How could I? He don't feel that way about me at all!" Her voice rising again as her body trembled beneath her.

"How will you know if you never ask?" The old traveler smiled, but she just shook her head. "Because I know how he longs for her... How he always have longed for her... He would always run off somewhere when his duties in the village was over. When I asked the older Miko in our village, she told me about HER... How she suddenly disappeared. I started to understand that his eyes wasn't cold, just lonely. That he wasn't angry, just sad. I saw how she had left Inuyasha in a very painful state." She spoke as her eyes traveled into her thoughts.

"And now she is acting all high and mighty over everybody!" she paused as she placed her chin on her knees. "I wish she would just disappear..." she mumbled as she rolled her head over to her cheek, her fingers starting to pull up the green grass beneath her.

"You sure you want that? If that's so, I might be able to help you" the older man spoke, a more serious tone in his voice. She sat up as she faced him, her eyes widening. "W-what do you mean?" his usual smile was long gone as he spoke more firmly this time. "If you want her to disappear, I can lend you a hand"

-

Mijori walked in silence back to the village. The words the old man had spoken earlier, did he really mean that? She felt a throbbing ache in her chest. Did she really mean what she had said? Did she really want Kagome gone?

"Mijori! there you are!" She turned to find Kagome and Inuyasha walking towards her. "Where have you been? We have searched all over for you" Kagome said as she arrived beside her. "Ah, yeah... Sorry, I needed to clear my head a bit..." Mijori mumbled as she faced the ground. "Are you ok now?" Kagome asked, but Mijori hadn't paid attention.

"Huh?" she looked back up at the raven haired girl beside her. Her eyes bore a beautiful warm brown color, so different from her own purple ones. She also had beautiful long hair... _'I wish I had to... Then maybe he would look at me differently...' _she thought as she reached for a short blond hair look by her ear. Kagome placed her hand on her shoulder gently, carefully not to startle her this time, or at last that what Mijori thought she tried anyways. Didn't she get how much she despised her? How her touch made her shudder?

"Are you feeling better? Are you still feeling ill?" Kagome spoke once more, and this time Mijori captured her words. She stared up at the girl for quite some time before letting her eyes travel over to Inuyasha. He smiled back at her, but she quickly averted her eyes back to Kagome. "Y-yeah... Sorry for worrying you..." Mijori mumbled as her foot dug into the ground, loosening the sand and stones beneath it.

"Nothing to be sorry about, Mijori. We were just worried" Inuyasha spoke as he went over to join them. "Inuyasha is right, you don't have to feel sorry. We're just glad that your safe. Come now, let's head back together" Kagome smiled at her as she hinted for her to follow.

Inuyasha and Kagome walked in front of her, talking about what they would have for dinner that evening. Mijori watched the pair of them in silence as she followed them back. Four years separated her from Kagome... Why did the gap feel so great? If Kagome was gone, would it make everything better? Would things go her way?

The old man's words echoed through her head once more. Would she be able to? She wondered as her eyes traveled to the smiling girls back, the same throbbing ache returned as she grabbed her chest slightly. Could she really execute it?

-

_**A/N**_: **I bit shorter chapter this time, but I felt like ending it here. I know this chapter was a bit depressing, but it needs to hold that kind of feeling for now. And suddenly Mijori plays a part in this chapter! We haven't heard anything from her in a while. I feel sorry for her... Jealousy does something to people sadly... But don't hate her too much... We all feel it when it somehow comes to love...  
But I hope you guys liked this chapter. It's time for things to get started, finally! XD  
Thank you for reading and see you next time! (I'm so going to die from overwork now! School is killing me! XD)**


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